Landstrider's adventures - Stonehoof's prophecyby SwedishdudeChaptersChapter 1 - A strange ponyChapter 2 - LandstriderChapter 3- The stones of insightChapter 4 - The temple of SheolxIntroductionChapter 1 - A strange ponyThe grass felt pleasant against Fluttershy's hoofs as she walked through the meadow. Some birds twittered in the distance and bees were collecting nectar from the many colorful flowers dotting the field. The shinning sun contributed to the wonderful scene with its warming rays, and the air was refreshing for the lunges. A hoof-full of butterflies saw the familiar pegasus and greeted her by landing softly on her mane. It tickled her slightly. The crows eggs had recently hatched, and the yellow-colored-animal-lover's skin was about to jump off the pony's flesh in her eagerness to see them. Last time the couple had tried to have baby's, some dragons had stolen their eggs and smashed them just one week before they were planned to hatch. After seeing how devastated the crows had been, Fluttershy had been taken extra care of them, and now, her efforts were paying off. She smiled. "This is going to be a perfect day!" She inhaled another deep breath from the relaxing aroma of nature. There was nothing more beautiful than the smell of living trees and green grass... Maybe she should pay Twilight a visit after she was done with the crows? It had been a while now since she last saw her. They could always have a picnic together, that would be nice! Her bunny suddenly stopped, snapping her out from her thoughts. The butterflies flew panicked away from her mane and the birds abruptly stopped their twittering. "O-oh," Angel thought. "This is not good..." Fluttershy looked slightly anxious at her companion. “I-is something wrong Angel?” There was something wrong! Something terribly wrong! Angel smelled something danger approaching, and fast! He could not determine what exactly the threat was from just the smell. It reminded him of a wolf, or a dog, combined into a dirt monster of some sort. Both were creatures he did not want to get too familiar with. The bunny began to desperately pull Fluttershy’s mane towards the opposite direction of the threat. “Ouch! Angel, what are you doing? Stop it, it hurts!” Adrenaline pumped through the bunny's tiny body; there was no time to explain! They needed to run, and that fast! But what could the little bunny do to warn his owner? It was not like these things happened on regular basis in Ponyville... The smell of rotten meat combined with sweat and mud was getting closer for every second they stood still. He stomped his feet as hard as he could in a desperate try to make Fluttershy understand that this was important, but it only made the mare even more confused. “What do you mean? Don’t you want to see the baby crows with me?” "Well, that too," he thought but now it was too late. The danger was already here. A red-colored dog jumped up from one of the hills and was leaping through the meadow. The tail looked fluffy, and it was remarkable silent for being so extremely fast. It could only mean one thing: it was a wolf, and wolfs eat bunnies! Angel found cover behind Fluttershy’s leg and with a shaking pawn, he pointed at the red wolf. Ponyville's easiest-scared pony quickly turned around startled in her expectation to meet a monster from another dimension to devour her in one, large bite. To her relief it was only a red wolf... Wait a minute! Wolfs aren't red! “I-is that an animal?” she asked herself, both puzzled and scared. It sure looked like one, but she had never seen any animal colored red before (She didn't count Dragons). Perhaps this wolf was sick somehow? At least she now realized why Angel was acting so weird. “Don’t worry sweetheart, I’m not letting that scary red wolf eat you!” she assured him and hid him deep inside her pink, long mane. There were few animals Fluttershy feared, and strange red wolfs were not on that list. In fact, she started to become more curios than afraid. She hadn’t seen many wolfs in her life and especially not red ones. But she had read in one of Twilight's books that wolfs are grey or white, hostile to ponies and eats flesh. Because of their aggressive behavior, she recalls from her memory, most of them lives in the Everfree Forest, and only on rare occasions could one be seen around Ponyville. But one thing was for sure: there is no creature Ponyville's number one animal lover couldn't handle! That was at least what she told herself... The red wolf was up close now and had stopped running. It panted winded, but kept closing in on Fluttershy. If it was hunting, it would have leapt over the yellow pony long time ago. No, this little fellow was not hunting, it was exploring. She could see it from its wide opened eyes and high-stringed ears. But her bunny thought otherwise. "For Celestias sake Fluttershy, why don't you just run!?" Yet again, Angel started pulling the pink mane violently, but this time, Fluttershy was far too excited to notice the living activity in her hair. A living wolf up close! It was a one-life opportunity! With her soft voice, she called out to the animal. “Come here little fellow, don’t be afraid.” The wolf slowly did as it was told and soon, it was face to face with the yellow pegasus. There was a second of status quo were neither the pony nor wolf dared to do anything. Only examining each other curiously... Carefully, very carefully, Fluttershy lifted her hoof and slowly patted its red fur. It broke the stalemate. The wolf happily returned the gesture by rubbing its face into the yellow snout. The wolf's fur was not at all like the fur of a dog, it was much more smoothing, more like a cat than a dog. But the smell was barely bearable! It smelled like it hadn't washed itself for weeks! Yes, that would be the first thing she would do when she got back home! Fluttershy was already planning in her mind of this afternoon. First the baby crows, then she would give this wolf a much needed bath, and then she would visit Twilight. They would have a picnic in the grass field and the purple unicorn would surely be able to explain why the wolf was red. Fluttershy's smile widened. "This is going to be a wonderful day," she thought and giggled. “That’s a good boy, come here. Oh isn’t he cute Angel? Aren’t you cute Mr. Wolf, Aren’t you cute!” The scared bunny did not think the murderess wolf was cute at all! It was terrifying! The wolf looked like it was about to quickly snatch him and then run away quickly before Fluttershy even would notice he was gone! Angel made everything he could to keep a low profile inside the pink mane, but he was certain that it was already too late. The wolf had probably already seen him, and it was just waiting for the right moment to strike at his next dinner! The white bunny would have never thought his life was going to end inside a red, wolf's stomach... Some minutes of snuggling passed when Fluttershy eventually looked up with a big grin. “You know what I’m going to call you, Mr. Wolf?" The wolf looked confused at the yellow pony. "I’m going to call you Redie… Because you’re Red!” She snickered like she just had made a funny joke. The wolf didn't react to his new name, but only looked even more confused than before. Angel facepalmed. "Fluttershy should really not befriend animals so easily, she will end up in trouble one day," he thought with a damped groan. "Or worse: *I** will end up in trouble one day!"* Suddenly, a large shadow fell upon Fluttershy and a strange voice interrupted her giggling. “That really is a fine name but his name is Foxie…” Her heart made a double jump as she looked up startled. In front of her stood a pony, whose appearance wasn’t like anything she had ever seen before. He was a bit taller than usual, but he would still have to look up at Big Mac. A wide, green, brimmed hat, covered his face from the sunlight, and attached to it where everything from a magnifying glass to different types of feathers and scissors. Fluttershy could not tell if he was a Pegasus or an earth pony, because he wore a lot of hiking equipment that covered the places where potential wings would be. His coat was light grey, a very unusual color for a pony, and his cutie mark symbolized an old, moth-eaten map. There was also something about his smell that confounded Fluttershy. He smelled like... living trees... and green grass... “…because it is a fox, not a wolf.” The pony lightened up like he just made a good joke. A fox? The yellow pegasus had never heard about any creature called foxes before... Shy as always, she hid her face behind her mane and remained silence. Angel sighed. "That’s Fluttershy alright! She befriends animals to easy but as fast as a new pony shows up, she can't even say hello properly." The grey pony continued. “But I can see why you thought it was a wolf, but foxes do not live in these areas.” He was clearly not from Equestria; his accent was way different. He pronounced the vowels a bit longer than Equestrian ponies did. “It’s… Beautiful,” Fluttershy managed to say. “Yes he is quite the sight! You can call me Landstrider.” He put forward his hoof to greet. “And what is your name?” Landstrider looked curiously at the yellow pony as he waited for an answer. Fluttershy gave the outstretched hoof a hasty shook and then dropped it just as quickly. “Umm… My name… is Fluttershy...” She was getting better at presenting herself to new ponies, but it was still hard for her. She really wished to get rid of the awkward moments she always seemed to get trapped in after saying her name... The grey pony squinted at her. “Fluttershy was it?” The pegasus heart made another double jump and she nodded discreetly. This was the first time a pony had perceived her name at the first try... This meant her training was paying off! Landstrider interpret the yellow pony's weird head movement as a nod and looked at her puzzled in return. “Do not mind me asking but... Why are you whispering it?” The stallion looked around suspiciously. “Are you hiding from somepony?” The yellow pony twitched and violently shook her head but remained silence. “Well, that is at least good!" The stranger made a short laugh. "This started to remind me of that time I met a filly who was hiding from his mother. He was so nervous when he tried to explain to me that he had been caught stealing pie from his mother.” He snickered at the memory. “Yeah, and you should have seen the look on his face when he realized that his mother was right behind him the whole time!” Fluttershy barely paid any attention to the story. Something else was taking up her mind. The smell wasn't the only strange thing about this pony, there was also something with the stranger’s voice that made her feel uncomfortable... well, more uncomfortable than usual... but it was not his accent! It was like, every time he spoke something jumped around in her stomach and made her feel sick. I-just-want-to-sunk-into-the-ground-and-disappear sick... Landstrider ignored her strange behavior and continued. “Anyway I am a traveler and I was just wondering if you could point me in the direction of Ponyville where I will hold up for awhile.” The timid pegasus was caught a little bit of guard but eventually pointed at the direction she came from. “That way,” she whispered. “Thank you!” he said and stood quiet for some seconds. “But you are lying.” The curled up pony gasped. “I-I am not lying at all! I promise that Ponyville is in that direction!” No one had ever called her a liar before, especially not a complete stranger! W-was she really famous for lying? Well, there was that time when she had told Rarity that she liked being a model when she really didn't. Had the word spread so far that even strangers thought she was a liar before they even had met her? And if this stranger thought she was a liar, then all ponies in Equestria must think she is a liar! She felt the tears pressing at her eyes. In her mind, she pictured everyday ponies walking the streets of far away Candyfornia, talking about that 'dreadful liar Fluttershy' and how 'distrustful and treacherous that pony must be'. No one would ever let her take care of their animals again! When the words would spread to her friends, they would abandon her, and she would be alone... again... She wasn't a liar! They would abandon her for something she wasn't! Ponyville was really that way, why didn't he believe her? Fluttershy felt her tears drip slowly down her checks. “I-I’m not a liar...” she whispered with words that slowly trailed away into whimpering. Landstrider just laughed. “No, no, no, not that! I am sure that you are right when you say that Ponyville is that way.” Fluttershy made a short sob and looked confused at Landstrider through her mane. So she wasn't known as the biggest liar in all of Equestria? “I meant that you are hiding from somepony, namely me.” He made a big smile under his hat. But his joke fell on hard soil. Now, the poor pony in front of him was scared instead! Should I be hiding from him? Was he a criminal I should have heard of? Was he a spy from another country? The more she thought about it, the more scared she became. I must warn Twilight, no Celestia herself! If I will survive, but I won't survive! He will take me to a dark chamber and I will be locked there forever and... Her tears began to flow down her cheek like rain on a window. This was much worse than being known as a liar! Landstrider noticed the Pegasus cries and took a startled step back. “Umm... What I meant was that you do not have to be so shy for me, I will not bite anypony.” Landstrider laughs sounded more nervous this time. This was not the way he wanted the conversation to turn, he only tried to be funny! His fox gave him an angry glare and he avoided his gaze. “Sorry, it was just a joke…” The yellow pony's desperate whimpering was the only thing that answered his stuttered apology. He felt more and more ashamed that he had managed to scare a pony he didn’t even know to the brink of tears. He made some nervous coughs. “Umm, thank you for your help anyway umm, Fluttershy, I will take my leave then." He made a long detour around the frightened pony to not seem threatening. The smell of nature slowly disappeared from Fluttershy as the grey pony increased the distance between them. "Kom Foxie, vi går nu.” The fox responded to the strange words and ran off to the walking baggage slowly moving towards Ponyville. The grey pony turned around one last time. “…And I am sorry if I scared you, it was not what I intended to do.” He scratched his head a bit uncomfortable before turning back towards Ponyville. -- When the fox was far gone, Angel dared to jump out from Fluttershy’s mane. The pony was still shaking with fear and sobbing heavily. A hard kick to the flank was just enough to make the yellow pegasus jump up startled with a weak scream. She turned around terrified only to find Angel looking at her meaningfully. “Oh, please Angel, don't look at me that way! I know what you are thinking, but h-h-he was a criminal of some sort!” The loud sound from the bunny's paw being slammed into his own forehead clearly demonstrated Angel's opinion. By making different signs with his body, he eventually explained to Fluttershy that the stranger only tried to be polite. “Do you think I overreacted?” She swept away some tears Angel nods violently. “You don't think he's a criminal?” The bunny gives the pegasus an are-you-serious look and then shook his head. “Well, maybe he wasn’t, but you can never be too sure! He did sound like he wasn’t from Equestria, and countries outside of Equestria are not ruled with friendship, you know that!” Angel rolled his eyes. Fluttershy's extreme paranoia was still no reason to act hostile toward other ponies. He tried signal this but the discussion was over. “We don't have time for arguing Angel, we are late for the baby crows!" Angel snapped his pawn in disappointment. She hadn’t forgotten it. After some inner struggles, Angel jumped cranky after his over-protective mistress... -- Despite the cute baby crows, Fluttershy could not stop thinking about this Landstrider. She had never ever met a pony from outside of Equestria before, and if that marvelous beautiful creature was just one of many animals where he was from... She couldn't deny that she wanted to know more about where he was from. Well, she was relieved that the strange pony was gone but she also felt a little bit disappointed that she hadn't dared to ask him more about the fox, or other animals as well. Every time she pictured Landstrider in her mind, the more she felt that fuzzy feeling inside her stomach. It made her feel like vomiting and jumping at the same time! She didn't like it at all. It was better if she tried to avoid Ponyville for a while. At least until she was sure that Landstrider was gone from it... Landstrider slowly walked the dirty road to his intended destination. His sore hoofs gave him a stream of pain for every step he took with his old horseshoes. He had been traveling in the open for about three weeks now, and even his trained legs began to get weary. Not to mention his back… He tried to get his thoughts away from his body. “That was a really shy pony, right Foxie?” he said in his native language. Foxie shock his head to show him that he did not agree. “Well, I mean she was shy toward me.” Now Foxie agreed! Landstrider thought about the conversation for a moment. “I might have come a little bit 'strong' on her perhaps... Do you think I said something wrong?” The animal shrugged his shoulders carelessly. Foxie was a great companion to have with you on your travels, but talking to this creature was like having a discussion with a brick wall. But Foxie had been with him since he was a filly, so he was used to it. “And I thought a pony with such a beautiful face would be *too** social, if you know what I mean."* Foxie made the chuckling sound he had learned to recognize as laughter. He could not help but giggle a little himself. "Oh well, I hope the rest of the ponies here aren’t that afraid of me…” A loud 'swoosh' sound interrupted him and he looked up reflexively. He took a step back gasping, before he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Up in the sky, something was moving with an incredible speed, performing the most amazing stunts and tricks whose alike he had almost never seen before... But it wasn't the amazing loops and turns that was the most impressive part; the creature seemed to leave behind a trail of rainbows where ever it flew! How is that even possible? The creature suddenly stopped and swept away some sweet from his forehead. Wait a second... Was that a pony?? Indeed it was, and the blue pony's mane was colored as the rainbows she left behind her. The blue Pegasus was panting heavy and stretched his muscles a bit before continuing with the air-performance she had been doing earlier. The pony's mane at least explained the rainbow tracks but how could anypony, or anything for that matter, be that fast? The eye could barely keep up with the movements! There was only one reasonable explanation Landstrider could come up with. “That most be one of the famous Wonderbolts Foxie!” The red companion was just as amazed from the air show above him as he was. “I didn’t know one of them lived in Ponyville..." The pegasus had started again to do loop and tricks. Landstrider looked around and for his delight, he found a huge tree close by. "It isn’t everyday you see a Wonderbolt train just out in the open like this,” he said and took a seat under the shade of the tree. With a relaxed groin, he let his package drop from his back. Oh, that stuff was heavy! The Pegasus continued to impress him as it did moves Landstrider didn’t even know a pegasus could do. But then again, Pegasi didn’t really exist where he was from... It was a marvelous sight... After several more stunts, the Pegasus landed with a heavy smack in the middle of the green meadow and the rainbow after her slowly faded away. She seemed to be exhausted, which wasn’t really a surprise after all that amazing flying! Ponyville's cloud-manager exhaled disappointed. She wasn’t 100% satisfied with today's training pass. She had been to slow for the hyper-mega-super-spin and not agile enough for the ultra-cool-awesome-rainbow-loop. But one thing was certain: she WAS going to make it before the Canterlot youth competition in five months! Even if she would have to slay a dragon to master the tricks! Rainbow Dash had won the Cloudsdale's “Best young flyer competition”, and because of it, she was now invited to compete in the “Equastrias best flyers – youth division”. The competition would take place in Canterlot, and it was a great honor to participate there. It was a much bigger tournament than the one in Cloudsdale, and on top of that, the Wonderbolts would be there to scout for their next member. This was the opportunity she had been waited for her whole life, and she was determined to take it! It was not until now she noticed that she was being watched. A figure under a tree nearby waved to her and shouted out to her. “Hi there!” With a fast maneuver, she flew face to face with the green creature under the tree, almost crashing into him from the sheer shock that it in fact was an Earth pony with a green hat! Next to the grey stallion was a strange red dog curved up snoring. A lot of weird packing lay on the ground next to him, and he grinned cheerfully towards her. After recovering from the strange sight, Dash found the whole scene funny. “Hi!” she replied while holding back a laugh. She landed in front of him, and the shade under the tree felt relaxing for the blue pegasus overused muscles. The grey pony lifted his green hat slightly. “You were really good up there," he then said with an impressed tune. "But I must say that I did not know the Wonderbolts trained without their suits on.” She blushed for just a second before her though, proud attitude covered it up. Dash wasn’t expecting a compliment from the complete stranger. “Please!” she said boastfully. “I’m not a Wonderbolt –yet! But I will be after the Canterlots best flyer competition in five months!” The blue pony proudly posed in front of the stallion, which was clearly impressed. “Yes, I can see that! I have not seen such stunts since that time I met Spitfire…” The mares eyes widened upon hearing her idols name. “YOU HAVE MET SPITFIRE??” She flapped her wings exciting, and her face demanded the stranger to tell more. “Yes, she saved my life actually…" “Really?? Wow that’s so awesome! You must tell me how!” She always got excited from stories about Spitfires heroic deeds. She flew up so she was in his eye level. “Well… It was a couple of months ago, when I first entered Equestria…” Before the grey pony could continue his story, she interrupted him. “’Entered Equestria’? What do you mean?” The pony looked away from the mare's gaze. “I am not from Equestria, I am from… Scardiva… Anyway, as I was saying..." “Scardirva? I have never heard of that place before! Where is it?” The stranger lost his speech again. “It-it is north-east from Equestria but as I was saying…” “North-east from Equestria? You mean there is something OUTSIDE of Equestria?” She gave the pony a skeptical look. “Well of course there is!" The grey pony snorted. "Did you think Celestia ruled the world or what?” The pegasus blushed again. She had believed that Equestria was the world, and that Celestia ruled it with Luna. How can she never have heard of countries such as Scardiva before? How many other countries were there in the world? How could countries not want Celestia as their Princess? The pony tried to start over again. “Anyway, as I was saying about Spitfire…” “But if you are not from here, why are you here?” Again, the pony cleared his throat and started all over. “Hrmm, I would love to tell you that during a warm and nice dinner but right now…” Dash’s eyes lightened up. “You're hungry? Let’s go to Applejack's farm then! She always has some apple-pies to spare!” she said excited. “Well that is nice but I was thinking of going to Ponyville right now…” “Oh, but Applejack's farm is just next to Ponyville. It’s just a slight detour, you have time for that!” Dash eyes looked begging at the stranger. “Yes I suppose so…” “Great, it's settled then!” She smiled. “Follow me, you can tell me the story about spitfire on the way.” It was not until then she realized she still hadn’t introduced herself. “By the way, I’m Rainbow Dash.” The blue mare made a quick bow. The grey pony smiled. “You can call me ‘Landstrider’, nice to meet you Rainbow Dash.” “ ’Landstrider’ ” She tasted at the name. “That’s a funny name.” Landstrider laughed. “Yes I suppose it is. And this little buddy here is Foxie.” The strange animal watched Rainbow Dash with big eyes from under the tree. “What kind of animal is it? I have never seen anything like that before…” “It is a fox. They do not live down here in Equestria, so I am not surprised you have not seen one…” Landstrider gave the Fox some quick pats. “It looks cool!” Dash inspected the Fox closer. It looked just like a dog, but red. And perhaps more agile... It was moment like this she wished she had chosen the hawk as a pet instead of her tortoise... “Hörde du det Foxie? Hon tycker du är cool!” Landstrider said and the fox smiled. She flew backed away shocked. “What was THAT?” Her eyes were wide open. The stallion looked up. “Oh, it was nothing. I only told Foxie you think he is cool…” The fox began to rub against Dash's leg. If any of Rainbow Dash's friends was there to see the look on Dash's face right now, she would have been teased about it for the rest of her life! The fastest and bravest of all ponies in all of Ponyville being left speechless like that: priceless! Unfortunately, Landstrider had no idea what big feat he had accomplished by shocking the blue mare to silence. “You can talk to animals??” Now Rainbow Dash was really impressed. “No, no, no, I cannot!” Landstrider laughed. “It was Scardivariska, my native language, such as yours is Equestrian…” Dash was stunned. Not only had she never seen a pony from anywhere else than Equestria before, but he also spoke a completely different language! How cool isn't that?! “But how can you talk Equestrian then?” “Well, Equestrian is pretty much the international language all over the world, so if you decide to travel, it is a smart thing to learn Equestrian first.” “Is Equestrian the international language?” She began to regret that she never had paid any attention in school. “For ponies, yes. Equestria is after all the largest nation in the world.” How large is Equestria exactly? I should go and ask Twilight about it later. I wonder if there is other Alicorns ruling the other countries as well... Landstrider interrupted her thoughts. “Anyway, about Spitfire…” “How many nations are there in the world?” She asked curiously. The pony thought about it for a second before answering. “I do not know about the whole world but I do have a map covering the surroundings. You can take a look at if you want…” “Yes please, show me!” She grinned. “…after I got something to eat.” He looked meaning at Dash and then gave her a smile. After a long story (that got repeatedly interrupted by Rainbow Dash) about how Landstrider nearly was killed by a dragon until Spitfire came along, they finally made it to Applejack's endless apple trees. “…Wow, I can’t believe you actually risked your life just to take back a stolen photograph from that dragon,” said Rainbow Dash and her eyes twinkled. “It was the least thing I could do after so much that family had helped me. Besides, I know how hard it is to lose the only thing that reminds you of somepony…” his voice faded away and he looked quietly at the ground. Dash didn’t notice Landstrider's reaction. “If I was there I would have snatched that picture right in front of that dragons face and then quickly escape! He wouldn’t even know what was happening.” She made some quick movements in the air to demonstrate what she meant. Landstrider woke up from his thoughts and laughed. “Hehe, yes but for me without wings it is not that easy.” Landstrider gazed over the miles of trees covering a large valley. It was clear that this ‘Applejack’ lived up to her name. There were apple trees as far as the eyes could see. He scratched his head impressed. "That is a lot of trees..." he said stunned. “Yes, it is my friend Applejack we are talking about! Wait here and I will go find her.” Before Landstrider had time to answer, Dash had flown away into the bush of trees and disappeared. It was an unusually warm day in Scardiva. The sun was melting away the past months hazardous snow and the mud piles stretched as far as the eyes could see. It was actually so warm, that some ponies chose to take of their winter jackets. That day, the stallions did mourn over their hard work on the field, and mares comforted their fillies, promising them that this was the sign of better times. Unfortunately, they were wrong. On this very beautiful day, a small group of five Earth ponies and one Unicorn had gathered outside one of Scardivas more peaceful villages. The five's cloaks was as dark as the night, and their reputation as infamous as the dragon king Firetounge himself. Few ponies had ever seen one of them and lived to tell the tale. The bare sight of their dark cloaks could make even the bravest pony sweat. They were a sacred band of assassins called "The dark knifes" and they served one of the more powerful tribes in Scardiva. Where ever they showed up, evil were sure to follow, and they were feared in all of Scardiva. The sixth pony however, was unknown in Scardiva. In Equestria, however, he was known as the first pony who had ever escaped one of Celestia's prisons. His name was Deathoak, a former student of 'Celestia's magic school for talented Unicorns', until he had decided to practice more... forbidden magic. He considered himself an artist, and his profession was death. One of the Dark Knifes took a step forward and his golden eyes penetrated deeply into Deathoak's red ones. “It has come to our attention that you wish to join us.” The pony's voice was deep and muffled. “Yes, I do!” The unicorn answered with a confident tune. The Dark Knife gave a look at his other members and back to Deathoak. “Do not speak again except when spoken to, it is rude.” The pony’s golden eyes glittered in the sunlight as he continued. “I do not know if you are brave or just young and stupid Deathoak. Please, enlighten me why we should let an Equestrian unicorn into the sacred circle of the Mörka Knivarna, and why we should not kill you right where you stand.” Some of the other ponies slip out some muffled laughs. Their dark giggles would have given the creeps to anypony, but Deathoak was not anypony. The black unicorn laughed back at them. “For the simple reason that you can’t kill me, none of you can!” He grinned. “I can kill you all with a simple thought if I so wished.” Deathoak was a smart unicorn. He knew what their reaction would be. Within the blink of an eye, he quickly teleported some meters away, barely slipping pass the daggers that had been thrown towards him by several of the cloaked ponies. The smile on the dark clothed vanished. Except for the golden eyed. He simply stomped his feet at the ground in an applaud. “Impressive...” he said. “...but being able to avoid getting killed does not make you a member to our group. What we want to know is: what can you contribute to us?” Deathoak snorted. “Do you know why I'm a wanted pony in Equestria? It is not because I escaped imprisonment. No, it is because I killed ponies. I tortured them, slowly draining their knowledge and power until they begged to be killed, and then I killed them.” But the golden eyed just yawned. “So you think we cannot do the same? And that you actually got caught after killing them is not a good reference to...” “I got caught because I didn’t realize that I had got my cutiemark!” He showed them his flank, where a symbol of a pony skull could be seen on his black coat. “I can kill ponies quicker than anypony of you, and I can extract information from them way faster than anypony of you can!” Deathoak growled angrily. “Calm down Deathoak! Showing your emotions are a sign of weakness...” Deathoak straightened up. “Yes... Of course, I apologize...” The golden eyed pony just shook his head. “Killing ponies quick is not really what we need either.” “Please, just give me something to prove my worth and I do it! Anything!” The golden eyed looked at the other ponies. They gave him a slightly nod and he looked back at Deathoak. “All those who wish to enter the circle need to pass three tests: the test of ability, the test of reason and the test of loyalty. We will start with the test of ability.” He walked to the side of the hill. “You see that village?” He pointed down towards a small settlement some miles away. ”They have allegiance to one of the few remaining rebel leaders. You say that your special ability is killing, so we want you to kill every single peasant in that village...” Deathoak took a quick glance over the village. It would be no problem at all, with enough time he could- “...In 5 minutes.” Okay, he took that back. One of the five twitched when she heard the time limit. “But Shadowblade, that is impossible for one pony alone! Not even with my speed...” The golden eyed gave the mare a glare and she went instantly silent. “For him to be useful to us he must be able to do something we cannot do...” He looked back to the confused Equestrian. Deathoak had no idea what the discussion was about, he couldn’t understand Scardivariska, but he paid great attention to the ponies' reactions. It was clear that the golden eyed not only was the messenger of the circle but also its leader... “We start the time when you kill the first pony.” The golden eyed took forth a tiny hourglass from one of his pockets and showed it to Deathoak. Deathoak smiled. “Watch me,” he said and closed his eyes. For him, this was just a perfect opportunity to try his new spell on more than just one simple pony. He had invented the spell himself, but it was still under development, and he had been in need of test subjects! His horn begun to glow with a black aura as he let his mind slowly leave his body. Despite he was uncertain if it would work on so many ponies, he still felt confident. It would work in theory, and the most of his ideas that worked in theory worked in practice as well. Like a force field, he let his mind scan the village, locating every stallion, mare and filly in the small town. Soon, he had located everypony in a large radius around the village. He could see the stallions working on the fields, the mares standing in the marketplace in the center of town, and he could see the fillies playing carelessly on the streets. He could see them all. He now entered the crucial part of the spell. With his magic, he started to penetrate the minds of everypony he had located. The villagers had been unaware of the situation until now. They began to scream in terror, as they felt their grasps of reality slowly dripping away from them, and their thoughts being read like a book. It worked! It actually worked! There was of course quicker ways to kill a bunch of ponies. For example, Deathoak could just conjure a massive fireball and pulverize the entire town if he so wished. But with this spell, he could drain the ponies' very soul from energy, making his own magic stronger permanently. The down side with the spell was that it's hard to keep focused during the long procedure, especially when many ponies like now where involved. When you penetrate someponies mind, you get to know absolutely everything about them. This creates a huge information stream right into Deathoak's mind. On individual targets, he would enjoy the sight of what everypony held closest to their hearts. He usually found it interesting to see what memories and information everypony valued most, but when it wasn’t only one single target, the information stream was just annoying. He felt their screams inside his head as he closed in to their souls. Memories from the past, concerns of the present, hopes for the future... It all vanished to oblivion as he winnowed them away from his mind. While some ponies passed out almost immediately, others more will strong ponies actually managed to put up a fight against Deathoak. But it really was a matter of time. As one pony fell, he could focus more of his power against the remaining ponies. Soon, he had drained every last pony from their energy. After he was done, he panted and collapsed. It was more exhausting then he had thought it would be. But at the same time, he could really feel the power he had absorbed inside of him. Soon, he would be the most powerful being in the world... He looked back at the other ponies. They all had dropped their jaws and were watching him with big eyes. He grinned. But when he took a quick glance at the hourglass, his smile vanished. The time was over, he had been to slow. He shouldn’t have stolen their energy; he should've just killed them immediately! Why couldn’t he just for once resist his endless lust for more power! Deathoak turned to the golden eyed. “I swear I can kill them quicker! Just watch!” His voice was filled with desperation. Dizzy, he tried to channel his last energy to conjure a huge fireball over the village, but he wouldn't make it. He was too weakened. “DEATHOAK!” He lost focus of his spell and the fireball vanished. The golden eyed took of his hood and reviled his face. The black unicorn gasped. It was full with scars and marks. The only thing that didn’t look crippled on the ponies face was his golden eyes... “You passed the time…” “But I told you I can…” “SILENCE!” Deathoak swallowed his words. “...despite your failure, you pass the test of ability. You can definitely be useful to the circle.” Deathoak eyes lightened up and he started to smile again. “But whip that smile away, let's continue with the test of reason.” Deathoak slowly nodded but the truth was: he felt too exhausted for another demanding test. “Y-yes, what do I have to do?” he said a little bit staggered. His self-confidence had completely vanished from his voice. “The test of reason is simple: Why do you want to join the circle? What is your reason for it? If it is just your taste for killing, I am afraid it will not be enough.” Deathoak exhaled relieved. He thought he had to do something that was actually hard! He was just about to answer him when the golden eyed stopped him. “But before you answer, take a look at my face. Notice how crippled it is, and expect yours to look exactly the same after some years in the circle. If you have a family, you will have to kill them before joining the circle. Otherwise our enemies will use them against us. If you love some special pony, kill her, or you will have a weak point that can be used against you. If you have any plans for the future, forget about them, because you will be bound to follow somepony else ambitions.” The golden eyed let his words sink in before he continued. “In short terms: Why are you willing to sacrifice your life in order to join "The Mörka Knivarna?”" Deathoak's bashful expression quickly turned serious. There was moments when Deathoak's artistic side disappeared, and got replaced with a more brutish, and ruthless side. When this happened, Deathoak wasn't an artist anymore; he was a killer. It was this side of him that had made him kill his parents. It was this side of him that had made him killed his baby dragon. It was this side Celestia had locked up... When the black unicorn answered, his voice was changed. It was now filled with hatred, instead of confidence. “Because you and I have the same goal…” he shortly said. The golden eyed looked suspiciously at the Equestrian. “And that would be?” Deathoak was panting heavily, as he was giving birth to a filly. If he hadn't used up all his energy, he would probably spark dark energy all around him. With a voice more twisted than discord himself, he answered his new master's question: “I want Princess Celestia’s head on a plate…” Chapter 2 - Landstrider...and with that last one, it was exactly 29 carts. That meant it was only one cart left to fill for the day. The sweet smell of apples made Applejack's stomach growl complaining. She really looked forward for a break... “Okay Big Mac, we fill up this last cart and then we give our legs some well deserved rest.” She wiped the large sweat blobs away from her overheated forehead. The sunny day sure was beautiful but it made working twice as exhausting. Big Mac unattached himself from the cart. “Eeyup!” The orange mare took some of the empty baskets from the cart and placed them around one of the many apple-rich trees. Better get this over with, she thought and tightened her muscles for the strong kick. But to the appletree's rescue, a familiar “swoosh” made the earth pony lose her concentration and tripped over. “Hi Big Mac! Hi Applejack!” Dash said excited. Applejack got up from the ground and wiped away some dust with a damped groan. “Howdy Rainbow! I'm a bit busy right now, can I talk to ya la-?” "There’s a new pony in town, and he’s not from Equestria!” AJ completely lost herself for a second and stared blankly at her over-energetic friend. “N-not from Equestria?” she asked uncertain. “Yes, cool huh? He says his from Scardiva, and he speaks Scardivariska to!” The blue filly-like pegasus made an quick loop in her excitement. Her friend did not share her curiosity. “Are you're sure he was from the nation Scardiva?” “Yes! You heard about?” The orange pony exchanged an anxious look with her brother. “Yes, I’ve heard about it alright...” The pegaus noticed the deviating tune in her cowboy-friend's voice. “What? Is there something wrong about it?” The farmer sighed. “Well, I don’t know too much about Scardiva but it ain’t exactly sugar tales and cupcake stories comin’ from that place...” Big Mac nodded. “Eeyup.” “Huh? What do you mean?” Dash looked puzzled at them. “Well... Ya know why Scardiva ain't a part of Equestria, right Rainbow?" The blue mare snorted. "No I don't, what has that to do with anything?" "It has very much to do with Scardivaria! You at least now how Equestria was founded, right?" "Of course I know! I WAS the main actor of the play last year, remember?" Applejack just rolled her eyes. Yes, she remembered the time they played the last winter’s Heart's warming's eve to well. She was still reliefed that her friend had actually followed the script, and not making up things to fulfill her 'Rainbow Dash show' visions. In fact, if the annoying blue pony in front of her didn't happen to be her friend at all, she wouldn't bother explaining the story at all. “Anyway, listen carefully Rainbow," she began. "When the Earth ponies moved south from their northern lands, there were a group of earth ponies who didn’t have any allegiance to their chancellor...” "There WAS!?" Dash's eyes widened in both surprise and skeptical. That was not even near anything she ever had heard before... AJ cleared his throat and continued. “Yes, they didn’t follow her because they had been banished by the Chancellor for treason!" She interrupted herself in the middle of the story and looked suspiciously at Dash. "How can you not know this Rainbow? This is filly knowledge,” she then asked meaningfully. "HEY!" The pegasus glared angry at the insult. "Maaybee I was too busy being awesome to pay attention to school. Besides, I doubt that any Pegasus school teaches anything about Earth ponies' history!" Applejack just sighed. Why wasn't she surprised? She decided it was best not to argue. “Fine sugercube, I tell ya what happen: As ya'll know, they were short on supplies those days, and Puddin’head had made just enough to fed everypony in her tribe. But then, an evil pony named Scardiva Stonehoof, may he turn in his grave, showed up! He and his gang attacked the Chancellors food reserves, and stole almost all the crops the tribe had so gracefully collected. That’s why Puddin’head was forced to move south in the first place.” “But food wasn't enough for Scardivas greed. He wanted to rule! He followed Chancellor Puddin’head in secret, waitin’ for an opportunity to strike so he could crown himself as the new king of the Earth ponies!” “When the chancellor came to what's now Equestria, the opportunity Scardiva had been looking for arrived. He and his soldiers were just about to charge when the unicorns and the pegasi showed up. Scardiva's personal adviser saw the three tribes arguin’ and prevented him from commencin' the attack. He convinced him that it would be a smart thin’ to let the clans take each other out, instead of uniting them against a common enemy. Scardiva agreed, so he ordered to lay camp nearby. There, he watched in delight, as the three clans argin' almost turned into an open conflict." "But then, the blizzard blow up again. Scardiva had no choice but to search for shelter in the mountains they've come from because it was the only way to avoid detection. When the blizzard finally was over, Scardiva returned, just to see that the three clans had united and formed Equestria." "When Scardiva saw that his opportunity to become king had slipped from his hoof, he went furious as you might imagin’! He slain his adviser for tellin’ him to wait and then established what's today Scardiva. He later got joined forces with a group of banned rebels that also oppose the uniting of Equestria. On his deathbed, he swore that one day, the Scardivan ponies would unite under one leader and fulfill his ambition to take over Equestria.” Applejack gazed sad at the ground. “After Scardiva's death, several pretenders to the throne rose but none was strong enough to unify Scardiva. Today I still hear tales about thieves and slave tradin' plaguin’ the land, as different tribes strive for total domination…” she ended her story with a deep sigh. “So I would keep an eye on that Scardivan pony of yours, right Big Mac?” “Eeyup!” Dash had been totally mind-blown by the story. There had been a revolt? How could a country be in war with itself? For that matter of fact: how could a country not be ruled by an immortal Alicorn? Who was going to lead the country when the pony died? It all made no sense to her. “Well, that sounds bad and all…” she said… “But how do you even know all these stuff? It's not like they are a part of Hearth’s warming eve play!” The loud slam from Applejack's hoof colliding with her own face echoed yet again through the farm. “The Hearth’s warmin’ eve play is about Equestrian history, not Scandiva's, and if you'd perhaps had listened to your history lessons, you'd already know all this stuff!” “Pfff, at least I’m not an egghead!” the blue pony said cocky. Well, if she had knew that history could be THAT exciting, maybe he would have pay more attention to school, but nah. Being the most awesome pony in Ponyville was good enough! The orange pony rolled her eyes again and decided to ignore the boasting. “Anyway, is that pony in Ponyville right now?” The pegasus slammed her hoof into her own forehead. Thunderclouds! I forgot about Landstrider! “Oh right…” She made a nervous smile. “I miiight have promised him that you would give him just a tiiiiiiiiiny bit of apple-pie…” Applejack stumbled some steps back like she had been physically punched in the face. “You did what??” “I’m sorry Applejack I should have asked you first but this guy doesn’t seem that bad as you say all Scandivaran ponies are. Just give him a chance Applejack. You even gave Luna a chance when she came to Ponyville during Nightmare Night!” Well, Luna was a completely different case, but Applejack admitted that her stubborn friend had a point. A break did sound awfully tempting, and she would normally not be so suspicious towards other strangers... “Alright, alright stop those fuzzy eyes; I give him a slice of apple-pie...” “Yes!” The blue friends face sprung in success. “But I’ll be watchin’ him!” Applejack looked meaningfully at Rainbow. She returned the gaze by rolling her eyes. “Yea, yea whatever…” AJ gave her brother a slight nod. “It seems like our break came a bit earlier than I thought Big Mac…” “Eeyup!” Big Mac and Applejack followed the Pegaus to the edge of the apple farm where Landstrider was waiting for them. “It sure has been a while now since she left.” He let out a distressed sigh. “You think she doesn't find that Applejack?” Foxie yawned and shrugged carelessly. He didn't mind that the flying pony took her time, the grass in the tree-shade was just what he needed right now. He had been walking all day, and he thought he deserved some rest. The grey pony sighed. “You don't care, do you?" A small grin was the only answer he got. He rolled his eyes and decided to take matters in his own hoofs. He rose up on his two back hinds and tried to see if the blue pegasus was anywhere to be seen. Nothing. He sighed. "As fast as she was, I thought it would only be a matter of seconds. This Apple farm most be huge…” Landstrider's stomach growled loudly. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday... Just why couldn't the bloody pony return?? He would have been in Ponyville with a fresh carrot in his hoof by now! His stomach growled even louder, and he had got enough. He took forth a staff he had attached on his back and walked to one of the apple trees. “You don’t think they will mind if I take just one apple, do you?” Foxie shrugged again without looking up. “One apple wouldn’t hurt…” Landstrider said and knocked down an apple from one of the trees. The first and last time he had eaten an apple was for 2 months ago, in Appleloosa, and they had been rather sour. The owner of that farm had told him it hadn't been the right season for apples. He didn’t know if it was the right season now, but at this point he could eat anything! He put back his staff on his back and took a large bite from the apple. He took a step back in surprise. This apple was one of the best things he had ever tasted! It was way sweeter than the ones in Appleloosa and much more juicer than the bananas he had eaten in the monkey jungles! This most be the way apples are supposed to taste like, he thought and took another bit. Suddenly, Foxie rose up and snarled warningly. “What is wrong Fo-“ “HOLD IT YOU VILLIAN’!” Before he had time to react he was tackled to the ground by a large red-colored pony. The sudden sunrays that hit his eyes when his hat fell off temporarily blinded him, and he moaned from the pain his staff had brought him when he had landed on it. Horse potatoes, This pony sure is heavy... he managed to think while struggling for air. His red companion reacted instantly. Foxie leaped savagely at the attacker and scratched up several wounds on the pony’s back. The red mountain bit its lip but didn’t move a muscle away from the fox's master. “Foxie… Sluta…” Landstrider managed to say under the weight of the large pony. Is he nuts? Foxie thought, but he did as he was commanded. He jumped a good away from the massive red blur and growled threatening instead. An orange mare walked into Landstrider's sight of view. “That's just a fine little devil you’ve gotten’ yourself!” she said in an Appleloosian accent and glared angrily into the defenseless pony's eyes. “It’s not a devil, it’s a fox!” The familiar voice of his newly-acquired friend made Landstrider smile. “And it was only trying to protect him!” “Protectin’ him so he can steal more apples ya mean?” The orange pony snorted at the grey pony. "What does the thief have to say in his defense?" Landstrider tried to form a sentence but talking when you have a cement block over your lounges was not exactly one of his strengths. “Hngh, I can barely breathe... Please let me just stand up…” “Nnope.” The deep bass-voice almost made Landstrider think it was a dragon pushing him down. “It’s okay Big Mac, he won’t run away” Dash said and looked at Landstrider. “Right??” “Of course I will not! Just… Let me catch my breath.” The big pony gave the orange one a puzzled look before letting Landstrider go. He rose up and brushed some dust away before starting to explain. “Dash here told me to wait, and when it took so long I thought it would not do much if I took just one apple…” “It’s still stealin’” the orange pony interrupted sternly. “Eeyup!” The grey pony dug a hole in the ground while avoiding the mare's glance. This day isn't getting any better. First, he had scared the hay out of a pony he barely knew. Second, he had reluctantly being forced to swerve away from the right path to Ponyville. Third he was being accused for stealing and the worst part of it all: he was still hungry! “Yes, I suppose it is stealing, and I am deeply ashamed of it but…” “AND your 'pet' there sliced up Big Macs back like it was one of Opals dolls!” The orange pony pointed her hoof towards the big ones back. It was covered with several scratch marks. “Eeyup!” “Well yes but it moved only on instinct. Please let me just explain!" He took a deep breath before continuing. "I am sorry that I could not resist your delicious apples; it is just that I have not eaten since yesterday and my stomach is killing me. I was on my way towards Ponyville so I could buy some supplies but your friend here insisted on coming to this farm instead. It does not justify what I did, and I wish to repay you somehow, but right now I must get something to eat.” Landstrider reached for his hat and wiped away some dust from it. The orange mare looked at him with somewhat calmer eyes. “So… You haven’t eaten’ since yesterday…” She seemed to have softened up a bit. “No I have not...” The pony made a troubled sigh and exchanged a look with the big one. “I guess necessity knows no boundaries. After all, I would’ve offered apples to any unfamiliar face that comes by Ponyville in normal cases. I’ll look between the hoofs this time.” Landstrider puffed out on hearing those words. “But you still owe an apologize to Big Mac!” Landstrider cough and straightened up. “I am sorry that we came up on the wrong hoof so to say…” “Hmpf!” The red one was not satisfied. “Well, hehe…” Rainbow Dash made some forced laughs. “…this is Landstrider, Landstrider meet Applejack and Big Mac ehehe…” The other ponies ignored her. “Sorry for your back Big Mac. I do not have much money, but I would gladly do whatever I can to make it up for you.” The only one of them that seemed to be able to talk opened her mouth again. “I don’t know what ya could do to make up for just a wounded back, do you Mac?” “Nnope...” “Some few coins won’t cover up the bandages, and a day work in the field is too harsh…” She took herself on the chin while she pondered. “Well if it is hard to find something I could do to make up for just one apple and a wounded back, maybe I could 'steal' some of those apple pies Rainbow Dash told me about and then do some free labor to cover it up…” Again, the two siblings exchanged some puzzled looks, like they were telepathically talking to each other (which wouldn't surprise Landstrider a bit if they actually could). Judging from their expressions, they were still not convinced... The grey stallion smiled nervously. “Ehh, if it is to any help, your apples are much better than those offered to me in Appleloosa…” The orange pony winced. “YOU've been in Appleloosa?” He quickly picked up a map from one of his bags and examinee it closer. “Well yes, it is south west of here, is it not?” “Did you by chance meet Braeburn when you were down there?” Landstrider lightened up. “Of course I did!" he put the map back in the bag. "He sure had some interesting stories to tell! He told me about the buffalo-conflict, and how close it was for the whole town to be destroyed if it was not for his cousin and some of her friends had showed up!” Some muffled laughs slipped pass Rainbow Dash and AJ. “Yea, tell me about it!” Dash said, before giving in to a full burst of laughter as her memories from the crazy amok she had caused was too funny to ignore. It had been a funny scene alright: because all kinds of weapons were forbidden in Equestria (with the guards as a major exception), they had been throwing pies at each other. Pies for crying out loud! She laughed again, making Landstrider even more confused. “What? Is his stories not true?” He scratched his head confounded. “It’s true alright.” Applejack said “And I’m that cousin of his!” The traveler inhaled amazed. “You are?! Well, the world sure is a small place!” He concluded with a short giggle. “It’s nice to hear that my cousin still doin’ fine and dandy down there.” Applejack looked at Big Mac. “So what you say Big Mac, should we let, (Landstrider was it?) here to ‘steal’ some of Granny Smiths apple pies?” The brother grinned satisfied. “Eeyup!” Landstrider puffed out and swept away some nervous sweat from his forehead. Seemed like they had forgiven him... Before he had time to reflect upon it further, the mare suddenly started to shake his hoof wildly, making his whole body swing with it. “I’m sorry if we’re a bit cautious with ya Landstrider, but Scardivan ponies don’t really have a prince’s reputation ya know!” “Y-y-y-e-e-e-s-s-ss I-I-I kn-o-o-o-w-w…” She released his hoof and Landstrider's bouncing slowly returned back to normal. “Follow me and we’ll found you somethin’ to eat. And for you Big Mac, we’ll let Granny Smith patch you up.” “Eeyup!” Big Mac said longingly. His wounds really burned him in the sun heat. “GREAT!” Dash said with a big smile. As I thought, if Applejack just would give him a chance, everything will go fine. Landstrider reached for his package when he saw that Foxie looked expectantly at him. “It is alright now Foxie, they are going to give us something to eat." The fox was not facilitated by his master's words. His experience said that ponies that had attacked them were not to be trusted. He demonstrative sat down and looked away. Landstrider was not pleased with his fox reaction. "Foxie, you will come with me now! And you will behave, got that?” He looked more sternly at his pet. Foxie rolled his eyes and followed Landstrider, but he kept a good distance away from the red pony... After they had walked a bit, Applejack asked: “So tell me Landstrider, how did you end up in Ponyville?” Rainbow Dash's face brightened. “Yea, you promised to tell me that when we reached Applejack.” She looked expectantly at his new found friend. Landstrider smiled. “As I already have told you Rainbow Dash, I am an adventurer and I am always seeking for new experiences to make. For now, that journey takes me to Ponyville…” “Oh oh, like Daring Do?” The blue pegasus asked hyped. He made a short laugh. “Yes, but Daring Do’s adventures are a beautification compared to how it really is like to be an adventurer…” “But I still don’t get why you’re in Ponyville. There ain’t anythin’ interestin’ here, I can tell ya that!” “Do not say that! All villages and cities have something unik... Unique? Did I say that right? Anyway all villages and cities have something unique to it that is an adventure in itself. Despite, I am not here for the village.” AJ looked questioning at him. “Then what in tarnation are you here for?” “This is the village closest to the Everfree forest…” The orange mare winced. “The Everfree forest?? Don’t say you’re plannin’ on goin' in there are you??” She shivered from the bare sight of the dark woods covering the east side of Ponyville. In all her time in Ponyville, the Everfree Forest was the only place she didn't go into willingly. The Pegasus snorted at her cowardly friend. “Of course he is! There is no better place for adventures than the Everfree forest! There are Manticorns, and dragons, and Ursa Majors…” She imitated the creators as she named them. “…and most ponies that walk in there by themselves don’t come back!" Applejack raised an eyebrow to Landstrider. “Do not worry, I am not alone. Foxie here is the best companion there is!” His pet proudly stretched from the encouraging words. “With or without a companion, it's still as stupid as pickin' apples durin' winter times! Besides, if you're goin' in there just for fun you’ll get lost faster than a stone farmer in a fruit market.” The grey sighed. “I am not going in there just for fun.” He grabbed a book from one of his bags. “I am looking for a stone said to be hidden deep inside it.” he said and flipped up a page showing a ball-shaped stone like the ones Princess Luna had destroyed when she was Nightmare Moon. AJ inspected the image closer. “It looks pretty much like the elements of harmony before they were jewelries to me, what ya think Dashie?” Dash flew closer to the book. The illustration pictured a stone with some kind of symbol on it. The stones were definitely the same ones Luna had destroyed. It made her laugh. “Yes, it does! Sorry there tough guy, but I have already found them!” she stated cocky. “We found 'em,” Applejack sternly corrected. Dash just waggled away her words. “Yea yea whatever, the point is that you won’t find them anymore.” “No no, this is not the elements of harmony; I already know that they are in Celestias possession. I mean the stones of insight.” Landstrider pointed her hoof at the headline of the page. "Insight? I don’t like the sound of that…” the apple farmer said worried. “No one knows who made them, but there are six of them spread all around the world. It is said to make the wielder of the six stone's inner dreams come true.” The other ponies jumped back startled from the sudden sound of the book slammed closed. If Twilight had seen Landstrider's careless treatment of an old book like that, it would have made her cry. “But it is only a myth. I am only wants to find out if it is true or not!” He gave them an excited smile. “Inner dreams come true? That would be AWSOME” Rainbow Dash flew up high in the air. "Then I could finally join the Wonderbolts and be admired by whole Equestria! No, not only Equestria, I would be the best flyer in the whole world!" Dash found herself being pulled back to the ground by the orange mare. “I ain't so sure it’s really such a great idea findin' these ‘stones’. What if they’re put in the wrong hoofs?” The adventurer nodded understandingly. “Yes I know what you mean… but I do not think that is going to happen. As I said, they are scattered across the world, and in order to make them work, you have to…” The sight from a big red house made him completely lost himself. He gasped. “Landstrider, I welcome you to ‘Sweet Apple Acres'!” AJ said with a proud voice. The house reminded him of the old farm he used to work on back in Scardiva, only that this one was painted red, instead of green. He made a short giggle at the clever marketing sign on top of the house; it was impossible to mistake what was produced here. The barn next to the house on the other hoof looked very abandoned. He couldn't see any cattle in it either... “And next to it, you’ll see my friend Golden Harvests farm; she makes carrots as you might've figured.” Landstrider clearly saw what she meant. On another hill behind Sweet Apple Acres was another house, this one with a carrot symbol on top of it. “So Apples and Carrots is what this town produces?” he asked. “Not only. We might be a small town but we got everythin’ from fresh apples and carrots to fancy dresses and sweets stores.” The blue pony flew excited in front of Landstrider. “I know this place like my very own wings, I will give you a show you around after the pies!” she said and spread her wings out in demonstration. “I would be happy to! Is there a library in this town perhaps?” Dash rolled her eyes. “Yes there is but why do you want to go to there? That place is boring.” Before Landstrider had time to answer Applejack coughed for attention. “Let me introduce you to old Granny Smith, she’s the one makin’ the pies.” Around a white colored patio, an old green pony was sleeping in a rocking chair. The pony looked like she could crumble and die in any minute, but the large snoring proved otherwise. Landstrider couldn't figure out what made the loudest sound: the pony or the rocking chair. Applejack walked to the sleeping skeleton and poked her side. Butt nothing happened... “Up and at ‘em Granny Smith, we got guests.” Granny Smith only snored louder and continued sleeping. The mare shakes the elder a bit harder and tries again. “Granny Smith, we got guests, wake up!” ' Still no reaction... Applejack looked at the other ponies. “Excuse me,” she said and then turned back to the sleeping tomb. “WAKE UP GRANNY!” Granny jumped up from her chair. “Whit, what, who, why – “ “Granny, we got guests!” Granny looked confused around until her eyes fell on Landstrider and Rainbow Dash. “Oh but of course!” With a little trouble she managed to get up from the chair. “Hi there young fellow, I’m Granny Smith! What can I do for you?” Landstrider grabbed her hoof in greeting. “You can call me Landstrider, and this is Foxie.” He pointed at his fox. “It is nice to meet you Smith.” Granny examined the strange creature closer. Foxie recoiled from her smell and grimaced. “That was a very odd pet you got there.” Smith concluded. "I have seen some pretty strange things in my days, but this is not one of them..." “It is a Fox. It looks like nopony in Equestria have seen one, which is not so weird because they do not live here,” Landstrider explained again. It was not until now that Granny Smith noticed the grey pony's accent. “You got a very funny accent there Landstrider, could you perhaps tell me where you got it?” The traveler looked disappointed at the ground. “Yes I am from Scardiva...” Granny Smith widened her half-closed eyes. “Oh boy, oh boy…” she said and shook her head. “…Wise of you to leave that miserably place.” Applejack decided to interrupt. She didn't want the conversation to go down that road again. “Granny Smith, could you brin’ our guests here some apple pie? We’re starvin’.” The green pony lighted up. “Oh yes, oh yes, of course…” She slowly started walking towards the house. “It is nice to see that you take care of your old ones.” Landstrider said admiring. Applejack blushed. “Well, technically it’s still her farm…” The rainbow colored mane swung from side to side as Dash looked for her friend's little sister. “Hey Applejack, where is Applebloom? I bet she wants to meet Landstrider…” “No point in tryin' Rainbow, she's gone with Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo.” Dash nodded understanding. Yes, there really was no point in searching for the trio; they could be anywhere. Landstrider looked slightly puzzled. “Umm, sorry for asking, but…” “She’s my little sister. I’ll introduce her to ya whenever I can, but she's impossible to find these days…” He made a short chuckle. “Yes, fillies always got so much energy…” The smell of warm apples brought the ponies’ attention to the house. “Here’s the apple pie!” Smith stumbled towards the rest, carrying two apple pies stacked up a pile. Landstrider bit his lip for each time the old mare lost her balance, just to regain it the second after. After not having eaten anything in 3 days, the last thing he wanted was to see his dinner getting familiar with the ground... When the package finally arrived safely, they all placed themselves around the table. With a relieved sigh, Landstrider let his package fall off his back to the ground with a loud smack. Having carried that for weeks now was just... nasty. He got that relieved feeling when you are finally done with something that has been bothering you for weeks. He sank deeper into the wooden couch and exhaled merrily. He took a bite from that pie slice on his plate. If he had thought the apple had tasted good, it was nothing compared to the apple pie! Every bite was a new sensation for his mouth! The flavors perfectly complemented each other in a perfect mix, making every chew a new adventure! It was much sweeter than the Zeebras' food, but much crispier than the Centaurien pies. But then again, he might exaggerate it. Everything seemed to taste twice as good when you were hungry. Foxie got some apple pie too, although he ate it all in a matter of seconds. Under the meal, Landstrider talked more about his travels. He told them how he first had traveled south, away from his homeland and in to the endless jungles of the brutish apes. After several encounters and holdbacks, he had then finally pushed through the massive jungle and arrived to the Centaurs. The Centaurs were a much more civilized kind than the previous apes, and famous for their inventions and advanced technologies. After some more peaceful time with them, he had taken a ship west, where he had met the Zebras in the deserts south of Equestria. The Zebras where mystical beings, and he had several magical artifacts from that place. Despite them being unable to conjure magic, they still managed to find other ways to enchant their potions and tools. After that, he had traveled north and finally arrived here in Ponyville. He ended his story by showing Rainbow Dash the map he had promised to show her. “…and that is the easy way to explain how I got here,” he concluded. “Wow.” Rainbow gasped over how big Equestria was on the map. “And this isn’t even the whole world?” “Not even close…” “How lon' have you been travelin’ Landstrider? It most has taken’ quite some time to visit all those places of yours…” AJ asked. He thought about it for a brief second. “I would say… around five-six years perhaps,” he then noted. Big Mac was suddenly forced to recoil after being attacked by flying-chewed apple pie spitted out by her sister. “You’ve been without a home for aroun' five or six years?” the mare asked shocked. “Well, sometimes I stay in one place for a longer period of time if you could call that a 'home' or not... I would say five or six years since I started my journey would be a more correct conclusion.” “And you've not even once thought about settlin’ down somewhere? When ah was a filly, I traveled to Manehattan but ah got so homesick after only 2 weeks that ah almost puked!” Landstrider grabbed another slice from his pie. “Yes, sometimes I wish that I had a home to live in, it is true, but I never really felt that I belonged somewhere else than the open road…” “But what about the place you came from? You must have a home in Scardiva?” Dash asked. Landstrider went quiet. “No, I do not…” He eventually said. AJ tried to read the grey stallion's face. “There’s no filly without two parents, even ah know that! You must have a mom and dad that miss you somewhere, and that place most be your home. When was the last time you've seen 'em? Travelin’ aroun' like this most worry 'em sick.” Applejack immediately regretted her words when she saw that she had walked on a weak toe. The grey pony didn't answer, but instead stared aimlessly at his empty plate for a long time. When he finally spoke, his voice was depressingly muffled. “Yes, yes I have parents. Or had, is the correct word. A bandit group kidnapped them when I was a filly and sold them as slaves to the apes.” Landstrider felt tears pressing under his eye locks but it didn't matter. He was hardened; all the 'practice' he had done made him very good at holding tears back, especially in front of other ponies. "I have never seen them since…” He returned to observing his empty plate. “Oh…” Applejack looked around a bit uncomfortable for support, but all she got was a death glare from Rainbow Dash. She returned it with an 'I-didn't-mean-to' look. They all stayed quiet for a while, since all the words that came to the ponies minds would only make the situation more awkward. Eventually, Granny Smith's frail voice broke the silence. “I see that we all have eaten our pies.” She began gathering everypony's plates. In fact, Applejack and Granny Smith both had a piece of pie left, but they both just wanted to change the subject. “Granny Smith, you sure make the finest apple pies in all Equestria!” Ponyvilles best apple-bucker said with a nervous laugh. It seemed to have snapped Landstrider out from his plate. “Yes, you really are a master chef,” he complimented. “Oh you just sayin' that.” Granny Smith walked with the plates back into the house, making Landstrider again bite his lips from the many close calls of broken porcelain. Dash sprung up excited. She had been sitting idle for way too long than the fastest flyer in Equestria should be sitting. “Want me to show you the town now?” she asked Landstrider energetic. Landstrider wiped his mouth clean with a nearby tissue. “Well, I did promise Applejack I would work on her farm to compensate the apple pies…” “Oh schooch, you can do it tomorrow, there’s just one cart left for the day anyway,” Applejack said with a smile. The grey pony nodded as thanks. “Good, let’s go then!” Rainbow Dash flew quickly down the hill. Landstrider began to re-saddle up his things again. “You are not coming?” He asked the orange pony. “As much as I want to, I just can’t let Big Mac do the entire last work just by himself, especially not with his back and all.... But I'll catch up later, promise.” The mare blinked. “Okay, it was nice to meet you both and sorry about your back, Big Mac.” The red stallion smiled. “No problem.” “It was a pleasure meetin’ you too Landstrider, hope I'll get to know you better before you leave.” She lifts her hat as a goodbye, and the traveler returned the gesture. "We sure will!" “Are you coming or what!?” Dash was already half way down the hill. “Yes I am coming!” Landstrider turned around and followed the pegasus down the hill. “Come now Foxie, it’s time to leave.” Foxie had fallen asleep but woke up upon hearing his name. He stretched satisfied and jumped after his master. Landstrider adjusted his hat. “This might not be such a bad day after all.” he said to himself as he saw the sun slowly turn the day to evening… <2 months earlier> “Again, you made a good job today Deathoak.” The golden eyed sat, with a pipe in his mouth, on one of the fallen rebel soldiers Deathoak had slain. The fog was starting to clear up and the sticking smell of ashes made Deathoak cough. He still hadn’t got the honor of knowing the golden eyed's name, so he had continued to call him just that: ‘The golden eyed’. “Thank you sir.” The black unicorn panted tired. He was still not a part of the circle. The golden eyed had told him that nopony passes the test of loyalty over a night, but he was under a trial. This meant that he received missions from them but nothing of great importance. So far, they had given him three missions, and all of them involved killing rebels. He wasn't disappointed with this at all; he actually thought it was perfect! For everypony he killed, he grew slightly stronger. As he had thought, joining the Dark Knifes would give him just as many ponies he wanted to ‘grow’ on. Deathoak took a seat on a dead pony in front of the golden eyed. “You have actually performed so well that Lord Steelsaxe himself has asked to meet us personally.” Deathoak's jaw fell open. Nero Steelaxe was the leader of the mightiest clan in Scardiva, and he was the lord the circle served. All lords had their own group of assassins, but none of them was as feared as the Dark Knifes. “W-what an honor…” he staggered. The golden eyed gave his pipe some silent puffs without expressing any emotions or reaction. “We also think it is time to tell you more about the members of the circle…” he said quietly. The unicorn stood up surprised. “So you mean I’m in?” he gasped. The golden eyed gave him a piercing glare from under his cloak. “Oh right, not showing feelings…” He sat down quietly again. “You still have much to learn before we accept you as a member of the circle.” He made some more puffs before continuing. “But you are young, and you are making good progress… consider this as a huge step closer to becoming a member of de mörka knivarna.” Deathoak struggled to not express his joy. “T-thank you, sir!” The golden eyed gazed over the battlefield. Hundreds of bodies were scattered across it, and some of Steelaxe’s ponies were gathering their fallen comrades to bury them in a big mass grave. It was not a funeral a soldier has in mind when marching to battle, but it was the funeral a warrior gets after being pierced by a spear. The sight was not a memory the survivors will share with their friends the day after. It was a sight of chaos. It had been a bloody, but one-sided, battle. A very, very one-sided battle... The golden eyed rose up from his seat and started to walk away from the scene. “You can call me Shadowblade from now on…” he said and beckoned the unicorn to follow him. Five ponies plus Deathoak was gathered in a small room inside the Castle of Boslo, Scardiva's capital. It was very dark and the only light source came from two small windows high up near the ceiling. You could almost taste the dust in the air, and a weak scent of rotten wood struck through everypony who inhaled it. The cloaked five had their eyes fixed on Deathoak. This was a big step towards becoming one of them, and getting to know their names was considered almost a spiritual ritual. There was something magical about this place, Deathoak noted. Something dark and twisted filled these walls with something very, very magical. He could feel it. The silent was heavy, and when the golden eyed, the person Deathoak had learned to know as “Shadowblade”, stood forward, his steps echoed slightly. “We are in a secret chamber inside Boslo's castle… This place has been under the circles possession ever since it was built, and few ponies outside of it even know about its existence.” He made a short pause. “We are soon going to meet Nero Steelaxe himself in the throne hall. He has never asked to talk to all of us at once, so it is probably of great importance.” He gave Deathoak a serious look. “But before we go, I have decided to introduce Deathoak to the circle. Whatever mission this is we must accomplish it, and Deathoak is going with us.” There other four ponies remained silent and sucked up every word from their leader. Deathoak couldn’t see any of their faces through their hoods, and all the mystery was killing him. In a matter of fact; this was the second time he actually saw them all together in one place. It had always been Shadowblade, and Shadowblade alone, that had contacted him and given him orders. The others were only there at his first test... “You all have met Deathoak before, and you all have also seen what he can do, so I won’t go into details of that. Let us get this over with instead.” He waved to the first pony in the line to step forward. He was the largest one of them, and a huge mace was fixed on his back. With heavy steps that somehow was almost silent, he placed himself some meters in front of Deathoak. “This is Smacher,” Shadowblade presented. “Nice meet.” the mountain-large pony said with a heavy voice. Deathoak could see that his face was, just like Shadowblade's, filled with scars. What could they possibly do to get such vandalized faces? “He does not talk Equestrian so well. His ability is strength, and don’t get fooled by his appearance: He is just as smart as the rest of us.” “I easy smash down wall.” Smacher said and hit himself hard on the chest. Note to self: don’t get to close to those hoofs. The pony returned to the line and Shadowblade continued. “Next pony is Faceless.” A mare gracefully stepped forward. “It’s a pleasure, to see a young potential such as yourself, soon joining our group,” she said with an elegant voice. Deathoak sighed relieved. At least her face wasn't scared. “She is a master of disguise,” Shadowblade explained, but immediately got an angry gaze from Faceless. “And style, Shadowblade, don’t forget style!” Shadowblade sighed heavy. “Yes, and style…” he said nonchalant. The black unicorn did everything in his power to suppress a laughter building up inside of him. This was the first time he actually saw Shadowblade express a feeling that open. What could possible make him show an emotion so clearly? Then, he swallowed. Perhaps there is more between those two than the eyes could see... “Next is Thunderbolt.” Before Deathoak could blink, a mare stood in front of him and shook his hoof violently in greeting. “Hi there, welcome to Mörka knivarna! I am Thunderbolt! Nice work with the test of ability, I could not have done it better myself.” It took a second for Deathoak to catch what just happened, and before he could answer, Thunderbolt was already back in the line. “She is the newest and youngest member of our group. She is the fastest pony in Scardiva.” “I am quite certain that I am fastest in the world as well,” the young Earth pony said with a boastful voice. Shadowblade gave him a deadly glare. “She, as well as you Deathoak, needs to learn discipline!” Is... Is Lightningbolt even younger than me? The black unicorn thought. I guess talent beats age... “And last pony, we have Silent.” The last pony in the group was leaning against a pillar and didn’t do anything at all to greet or acknowledge Deathoak. He simply ignored him. Deathoak didn’t like to be ignored. “He has no tongue, so he cannot utter a single sound, making him the perfect pony for stealth operations. No pony knows his real name so we just call him Silent.” Silent continued to glare angry into the shadows. That explains a lot, Deathoak thought and didn’t pay more attention to the mysterious pony in the background. “Now when you know who we all are…” “But darling, you forgot to introduce yourself!” Faceless said with a humoristic tune. Deathoak could have sworn that he saw Shadowblade roll his eyes under the hood. “Right… As you already know, my name is Shadowblade, and I am the leader of the group. I am its head, and its tongue. Any questions?” Deathoak shock his head. “No, when are we supposed to meet Steelaxe?” Shadowblade looked back at his members. “He is waiting for us right now…” he said and led them all out of the room. Even though Boslo's throne hall was enormous, it was still nothing compared to Princess Celestia's in Canterlot. Despite that, it was a marvelous sight. The massive windows reflected the lights of the big chandeliers burning in the ceiling, filling up the long hallway with all the colors of the spectrum. They were walking on a big red carpet, and heavily armed guards stationed along it watched their every moment as they slowly approached Steelaxe. There was no music, no celebration committee and no talking. There was only a complete silence. On a high throne decorated with all sorts of jewelry sat the character Deathoak assumed to be Steelaxe. He was dressed in a large, red mantle and he wore a tiny crown on his head. His coat was grey as the rest of the Scardivarian ponies, and Deathoak could see on the king's troubled face that his mind was filled with thoughts. Two extra large guards stood on each side of him, looking even more fearsome than Smacher was. “And remember, no one utters a single word, unless I say anything else. Not a bucking word!” Shadowblade whispered to the group without looking at them. He got no response. Perfect! Nothing would go wrong now, he thought. Nothing! And he would assure it! Deathoak looked at the other members of the circle. He had been told that only Shadowblade had met the king personally before. Faceless correct her hood for the fifth time since they had entered the throne hall and Smacher unsuccessfully tried to whip away a dirty spot from his robe. Thunderbolt was like a filly in a candy store. She gave an object a glance before looking at the next in excitement. Only Deathoak, Shadowblade and Silent lived up to their reputation as coldblooded killers, as they with ice-cold glares, walked slowly towards the throne. Deathoak could sense the fear from the soldiers around him. They were good at hiding it, but he was too familiar with fear to see through their plastic faces. They all feared them. He could almost hear the silent relief every soldier let out as they passed them. It made him instinct thrilled. Like when an author writes down the last few words before being done with a long book, their fears reminded him of the seconds before he performed his 'art'. The lord on the throne snapped out from his thoughts and looked at the approaching ponies with a troubled gaze. “Feel welcomed, members of the Dark Knifes!” he said in Scardivariska. Deathoak made a silent curse. He wouldn’t be able to understand a single word of their dialogue now! He should really try to learn Scardivariska... “We are honored,” Shadowblade replied. He bowed deeply and the rest of the circle instantly mimicked him. “Good job dealing with the Boneleg rebellion, I got reports that your work almost killed their entire army in a matter of minutes!” Steelaxe said impressed. “We only did as you commanded, sire.” The king smiled. “With Boneleg out of the picture, there’s only Moonshade and Landstrider left opposing me." He took a drink from a glass that was next to the throne. "The eight clans have agreed to proclaim me as the high king tomorrow morning, and with that, Scardiva will finally be united under one, strong ruler once more! The prophecy will be fulfilled!” The king gazed proudly at the big painting over the main entrance. It represented an old portrait of Scardivara Stonehoof, sitting on the very same throne himself were on right now. Despite the many years that had passed since Stonehoof's rule, the throne were still as magnificent as it had been when the portrait had been painted. The old king on the potrait looked just as determent as he was right now. Patriotism warmed Steelaxe's heart and he grinned. It was the founder of Scardiva he was looking at. Not any ruler or anypony, it was the founder of the land he would soon to dominate. Stonehoof had started it all, he had continued it. He knew his ancestor would be proud of him. Ff not, he would make damn sure of it! The time had come for Scardiva to prosper once more, and he was the pony to do it! Yes, he would make one last favor for the long dead pony. He was the wise ruler the prophecy was talking about, he just knew it! Shadowblade's muffled voice disturbed his thoughts. “Excellent, my Lord. Is it because of Moonshade and Landstrider you have summoned us?” The king shock his head. “No, no, no. Moonshade and Landstrider don’t pose any real threat anymore, or at least not after I have been crowned high king.” Steelaxe signaled to a servant which immediately began to gallop towards a small door alongside one of the hall walls. “The reason why I called for the circle personally is of much greater importance…” The servant returned, dragging a cart behind him. The cart was covered with a white blanket, and you could discern something round-shaped beneath it. “For generations, my family has collected ancient artifacts from all around the world. Some of them are priceless; others have more of a historical value, and some… have practical usage.” He waved the servant away and rose up from his throne. “I want you to travel to Equestria, and find a stone that looks like one these.” He ripped off the white blanked and revealed five stone spheres, all with a different symbol carved on them. Deathoak recognized them immediately. “How did you found five of the stones of insight?? It is impossible!” He bit his lips right after shouting those words and remembered what Shadowblade had told him. The reaction was almost instant. The hall began to echo the sound of metal as Deathoak was suddenly surrounded with spear heads and sword points. In normal cases, the guards would already have killed him by now, but this was far from a normal case. This time, it was the guards that feared to be killed if they came to close... Shadowblade gave Deathoak a glance that could kill. No I mean it: you better start digging your own grave if you ever get such a look from anypony. Faceless gave him a shocked look and Lightingbolt facepalmed. Silent was observing the guards closely, ready with a hoof on his blade if anything would happen. Smacher growled angry at the situation the Unicorn had put them into. Steelaxe gave Shadowblade a bored look. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t let the guards kill him right there on the spot?” He asked with a snobbish attitude. Shadowblade knew better than apologizing rudeness in front of a king. Only the gems value stops the dragon from eating all gems at once... “Because he is from Equestria and he knew the area better than anyone of us.” He feared that reason wasn't enough for the king's ears, he would have to try fear as well. “Plus I don’t think all the soldiers in this room would be enough to kill him. He can -” Steelaxe signaled him to be silent and shock his head. “I'm not questioning him Shadowblade; I'm questioning you. How can your dignity sunk so low that you would let an Equestrian pony into the sacred circle of the dark knifes? What is next? A Pegasus?” “Sire, I thought the same thing but then I saw what he could do. If we ever going to invade Equestria that are filled with Unicorns like him, we cannot rely only on our brave Earth ponies. Unicorns with magic are a too great asset to ignore. If we don’t have at least one magical creature with us, we are chanceless.” The king gave Shadowblade's speech a long thought. If it was something he had learned while sitting on the throne was to think before you act. Deathoak's horn glowed prepared. The uncomfortable silent after Shadowblades last words in addition to several spears pointing at him was not something he preferred. If he only could understand what they were saying... “I guess you're right,” The grey king eventually concluded. He signed his soldiers to lower their weapons, which they gladly did. “Thinking in the old ways will make us repeat the same mistake twice. We must be new, and innovative for progress!” “Well spoken, my Lord.” Shadowblade made a quick bow. He knew that Deathoak had been forgiven, but it had been a close call. Once again, his clever mind had outsmarted another situation with his king... The black unicorn slightly relaxed when the guards sheeted their weapons. Whatever Shadowblade had said, it seemed to have worked. But he knew it wasn't over yet. Shadowblade would probably be furious at him afterwards. He hoped that this wouldn't mean he had failed the test of loyalty... “Very well, you know your mission. My researchers have tracked the last piece of artifact inside a temple called Sheolx. The temple is located in a forest called 'The Everfree Forest', and beware! The Temple is said to contain some kind of traps to keep intruders out…” “We will keep this in mind, my lord!” The king was pleased with the answer. “And one more thing: This mission is top secret! Don’t let anypony know why you are searching for the stones. It might ruin the entire future of Scardiva…” “Right sire, we will be as silent as a ghost!” Steelaxe nodded. “Leave as fast as you can. I will assist you with a servant that will bring you everything you need for the journey. Gallop with speed and may the ancestors be with you!” “Thank you, your highness!” Shadowblade made a deep bow and again, the rest mimicked. But before they turned around to leave, Steelaxe stopped him. "And Shadowblade... Slientsword turned back to his ruler. Yes, sire? Keep an eye on that Equestrian Unicorn... Deathoak shoved a snowflake away from his snout and turned around in his sleeping bag. He couldn't say he wasn't used to sleeping outdoors, but it was not really something he preferred to do in a snowy evening like this. Thankfully, the campfire didn't quenched by the snow, and it was a very much needed warm source. He shivered again. Silent and Shadowblade had the first nightshift, and he was next up with Lightningbolt. He was exhausted, but he still couldn't sleep. There was too much on his mind that prevented him from sleeping. One week had passed since the meeting with Steelaxe, and Shadowblade hadn't even mentioned his outburst in the court. Was he looking between his hoofs? Didn't Shadowblade cared that he had ignored his order and put them all in danger? Maybe the assassin's mind was too busy about their mission that he had forgot about Deathoak... When it comes to the mission, he felt extremely lucky that it was located in the Everfree forest. Having his first real mission in almost familiar areas was exactly what he wanted. Back when he was in prison, he had read a lot about the Everfree Forest. The mystery and darkness inside it had appealed his interest in it and his research sure would come to good use! Maybe they would even let him join the circle after the mission if he made a really good job! But then again: The stones of insight?? And the ruler of Scardiva possessed five of them?! How did he even get hold of such powerful tools? Deathoak remember what he had read back in Celestia's magic school. Six stones in total... Each symbolizing some kind of trait... Why it did was still a mystery... When having all six gathered in front of the creator of the stones, your inner wishes would come true... But who was the creator? The stones are almost as old as the princesses themselves, the creator would probably be long dead by now, didn't Steelaxe know this? Maybe he only wanted them to have a full set of ancient artifacts... Like a collector or something like that. Or maybe he had figured out how to use them without the guidance of the creator? Maybe I could figure it out? Deathoak thought. Then my inner dreams will come true, and Celestia would finally die from my hoofs! My name would be remembered forever! Were the stones so powerful that it could make it happen? Maybe he should betray the Dark Knifes and steal the stones for himself... He smiled and curled up tighter in the sleeping bag. No, he shouldn't. What was the fun in letting the stone do all the work? He was an artist after all, not a butcher. The honor of killing Celestia should be his, and none others! The Dark knifes was helping him reach that goal, not doing it for him! Eventually, he fell asleep... -- An immense pain in his left cheek woke him up and he screamed. He reflexively covered the pain with his hoof, making him realize he was bleeding! He rose up from the bed and his heart made a double jump from the 5 pair of eyes looking at him in the darkness of the night. He could see from the light of the fire that Shadowblade was holding a large knife in one of his hoofs. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was dropping from it... “Every time you disobey a direct order from me, you will get punished. Remember that Deathoak...” The golden eyed began drying of the knife. “Lightningbolt and Deathoak takes the next nightshift, the rest of you get some sleep.” The ponies began to return to their sleeping bag like nothing had happened. Deathoak felt the sticky substance slowly stream down his cheek. He looked at his hoof. It was soaked with blood, and it wasn't somepony's else blood. It was his own! He did not try to join the circle to put up with this! He felt his anger boil up inside of him. He began to pant heavily. He started to lose control of himself. He felt the artistic mind slowly being pushed aside for his other half... His more powerful half... The half that had given him his Cutie Mark in the first place! The half that had killed his family... He started to conjure energy to strike Shadowblade with a lightning bolt. Who did they think they are to humiliate him like this? He was the most powerful of them anyway, he didn’t need them! They were better of as energy into his body. The stones were always there, he could always find another way to finish Celestia off without them! They were just pawns in his master plan, and he could sacrifice them whenever he wanted to! He was the king, not them, not Steelaxe! It was they who needed punishment! Before he had gathered enough energy, he felt something sharp pointing against his throat. He lost his concentration of the spell. He knew very well what that sharp thing was... Silent slowly walked in sight of him. Deathoak snorted like a bull and looked angry into Silent's green eyes. Suddenly, he gasped. Silent was speaking to him. “I’m watching you,” he said. Not with his mouth or tongue, but with his eyes! His eyes were talking to Deathoak! H-how was that even possible? Dethoak thought. His anger quickly washed away and was instead replaced with a feeling he hadn't felt in years: fear. Those eyes... It was like they penetrated his mind... Everything ceased to exist. The pain from his cheek, the cold winds, the dark skies, it all disappeared. The only thing that seemed to remain was Silent's eyes. "Don't try anything," they said. Deathoak felt like passing out. His thoughts were more and more widespread, and he could not really grasp one for longer than some seconds. W-what is happening to me? Am I dying? Is this like dying? W-what is happening to me? His brain went through the same thought over and over again, like it had forget it just had thought the same sentence for only a couple of seconds ago. There was something else than the eyes. A fade voice somewhere, like a scream from a faraway place: “What are you doing Silent? Leave him be, he already had his punishment!” Suddenly, everything returned back to him in a second. The pain in the cheek, the light from the fire, the cold winds... The shock made him collapse to the ground. “Easy there Silent, you can go back to sleep now. I and Deathoak have this nightshift.” Silent sheathed his knife and gave Lightningbolt a dark glimpse before returning to his own sleeping back. Deathoak panted heavily. His heart was pounding hard and his thoughts slowly returned to what they used to be. It was magic, it has to be magic! How can an Earth pony like Silent use magic? “He is quite creepy, is not he?” Deathoak snapped out from his thoughts and saw Lightningbolt sit next to him. She had removed her hood, and her long, fire red mane flapped widely in the strong winds. He nodded discrete in return. “And do not take that too personally.” She pointed at Deathoaks cheek. “You did not think joining the circle would be a dance on roses, did you?” She showed Deathoak four scars on her right cheek. “These things happen,” She said carelessly and smiled. Deathoak started to relax a bit. "But why doesn't Faceless have any scars if the rest of us have? She wasn't the one dealing them out either and she cannot have been perfect every time...“ The mentioning of the scar made him reflexively put his hoof at the wound again. It had dried now. "She is the master of disguise, remember? It would pretty much ruin her usage if she could be recognized with some strange scars to her face would not she?" Her bad grammar made Deathoak slightly annoyed. "So she doesn't get punished?" "Oh, she gets punished alright, but no one knows how. Sometimes, she just disappears and when she comes back, she is white as a chicken but quiet as... as Silent." Lightningbolt giggled at her metaphor. "I see..." Deathoak turned away silent. He wondered what Shadowblade could come up with to punish Faceless without leaving any marks... Well, any physical marks that is... The red maned pony sprung up in front of Deathoak again. "Anyway, why did you want to join the Mörka Knivarna?” she asked lightly. Deathoak was caught off guard. “Umm, well, umm…” The young mare looked skeptical at him. “I know you want Celestia dead and all but there must be a reason for it! I mean, you are from Equestria after all! Why do you want your leader dead so terribly bad? Do not you have any patriotism?” Without knowing it, Lightningbolt had walked on a weak toe. The unicorn looked away to prevent himself from showing any emotions with his face. He started to remember again... His flashbacks still haunted his dreams, and he made everything to not think about them during awake time. But sometimes, it was inevitable... The black stallion made a large white line right cross four others with his chalk. That made it 1825 lines in total... 1825 days... Five years... Or at least since he started to count. Five years in a tiny cell... He sat down on his hay spot and tried to think about something else. The smell of the "piss corner" filled up his mind, but he pushed the thoughts away. He didn't feel like thinking of pony byproducts. He started mapping his cell instead. Of course, he had done it thousands of times already, but it didn't stop him from doing it again. The were four corners in his narrow cell and all had their own purpose. There was the "sleeping corner", which he was in now. It contained a pile of old, inedible hay, stacked up to a "bed". It gave around as much comfort as the hard floor itself. There was the "piss corner". Well, it was simply a bucket were you... you know... There was the food corner. It was the corner closest to the door where the guards would give him water and food. They exchanged "piss buckets" one time per day from there too. And at last, there was the light corner. Princess Celestia had, "in her mercy" given him a magical lamp that never faded, so he at least didn't have to live the rest of his life in complete darkness. How the lamp worked was still a mystery to him, but it provided with enough light for somepony to read in. And Celestia had allowed him to read. And that was almost the only thing he did all day long: read. After five years with nothing to do, you start to read. And read and read and read. It was simply the only productive thing he could do down here: read. At least he was provided with the books he wanted. The only two exceptions were books about the prison itself and dark magic. But books about magic in general were allowed, so he could at least continue his studies! But then again: what's the use with magic theory when he wasn't allowed to use it in practice. The castle had some kind of ancient spell that somehow suppressed magic. The only thing Deathoak ever had been able to produce was a short black spark, and he had been really angry that time. How the hay did that lamp work?? Never mind. He had tried to figure that out ever since he got it. There were no use, it was a mystery... He started to examine his cutie mark again. The white skull mocked him from his black fur. He could still remember the first day he got it. It had been the worst day of his life. Curse Celestia! Curse her to oblivion! Did she really think he wanted his own parents dead?! Did she really believe that he liked killing ponies just because it was his cutie mark? Celestia had talked to him when she visited her own school for buck sake! A filly doesn’t choose what his special talent in life is, and just because his happened to be killing doesn't mean that he wanted to kill! But his reasoning had fallen on deaf ears in the court trial. Yes, it was true that he had killed his parents but it was an accident! Every Unicorn loses control of their power sometimes, what filly in their right mind want to kill his own parents!? But Celestia hadn't listened. Despite she knew who he was and despite that she knew he would never do something like that on purpose, he had been sent to jail. He hated Celestia. He hated his cutie mark. He hated to be a unicorn. He looked back at his cutie mark for a second time that day. The white skull was still there, nothing had changed. It looked at him with its deep, black holes for eyes. It would be on his flank forever… It didn’t matter if he would get out from here or not. What would the world outside think of him when he showed up with a skull on his flank? He could imagine the job interviews. “Hi, my name Deathoak and my special talent is killing ponies!” No, it really didn’t matter if he got out or not. Or well, yes, there would perhaps be some kind soul out there willing to lend him a job, but would that really matter? He could learn to be good at something but never truly master it. There would always be somepony else with the right cutie mark that would best him at it, no matter what it was. He would always be an average, always arrive at second place. Never would he be appreciated or admired, he was cursed to be forever mediocrity. Even when it came to magic, he had always been the second best in his class! He remembered the late nights he spend on studying to be a step ahead of the class, only to be out shinned by the Celestia-flank-licker-Twilight. She made it look so easy! He was nothing. Whatever he would manage in his life, it would never stand the test of time. Somepony would always be better than him, always! Except when it came to killing… Maybe he was meant to kill all along? He rose up from this enlightenment; what IF his purpose in life was killing? What if all the ‘accidents’ he had caused was no accidents at all, but strikes from his under-stimulated mind? Like a painter gain inspiration suddenly, maybe he got his ‘inspiration’ just as suddenly? “There is an art in everything, even in painting rocks.” His teacher had once said to the class. “And if it isn’t considered art yet, make it an art.” Yes, Mr. Poemwriter’s words rang loudly in his ears. It all made so much sense to him! Just as somepony felt like baking for no particularly reason, he had killed all those animals when he was a filly because something inside of him felt like doing it! Of course he had earned his cutie mark when he had killed his family: it was the first time he actually had killed a pony! In all his life, he had run away from his ability, but a pony's destiny could not be avoided forever! Celestia hadn’t locked him up because of what he had done. She had locked him up because of what he could do! Celestia feared him. He cleared his throat. "If my talent really defines who I am, then may so be it!" He then shouted out loudly to the lonely shadows. "If my ambitions can’t make me famous, I shall be infamous! Yes, I shall be the most feared pony in the entire world! My name will live forever, as my art will be spoken in generations to come! Mark my words!" The echoes from his own voice made him for a short second think he had completely lost his mind. Maybe it was true, but the cold cells answer was the only answer he needed. He was no longer Deathoak the prisoner, he was Deathoak the artist. And as every artist had a masterpiece, his masterpiece would be Princess Celestia herself! He would be feared, and for the next thousand years that would come, his name would be whispered in dark alleys and sad songs. They would sing of the pony that ended the millennia of harmony and peace. Yes, this was truly his call in life. He could feel it inside of him. This was what he was born to do, and his first triumph would be to escape from this cell! He leaned up against the wall to inspect the magical lamp closer. There must be something he had missed, a detail so small and hidden that a normal pony wouldn't find it. If it could use magic in this cell, he could too… “She…She sent me to prison…” he eventually said. “Cool! What for?” “Um…” “Oh come one! Do not be shy! Tell me what you did to be personally sent to prison by a princess! Something nasty I hope…” Deathoak didn't know how to response to the young mares interest in him. It was not like he was used to chit-chat... “I killed my parents…” he eventually said. The smile on Lightningbolt's face turned to a wide grin instead. “Woaw, that’s awesome! Was it your first kill?” A grumpy voice interrupted the conversation. “Shut up already, some of us are trying to sleep here!” Smachy said from across the camp. Lightningbolt rolled her eyes but lowered his voice. “Well, was it?” The Unicorn made a short nod. “Yes… It was… Well, if you don’t count birds and other small animals…” “No, they do not count! My first kill were some bandits. They had killed my brother but I hunted them down! All except one...” She went quiet for awhile. “You think that is how Shadowblade got his scars?” Deathoak asked. Lightningbolt twitched. “Huh? Oh, you mean the punishment? Yea, sure, why not.” The mare made a short laugh. “I never really thought about it! I wonder how long he has been in charge of the order…” “Is there more than just us in the circle?” “Just us. For some hundreds of years ago, we were more, but now it is just we six that remain.” “Well, you five, I’m not a part yet.” “Nah, it is only a matter of time. They are a little bit suspicious because you are not from Scardiva, that is all.” Deathoak gave Lightningbolt a warm smile. In his life in Canterlot, he had never talked to ponies in his own age. Well, he had tried once back in magic kindergarten, but no one wanted to hang out with him. Well, not after he had accidently killed somepony's pet cat that is... That was why he had thought in advance that everypony in 'Celestia's school of talented Unicorns' would be just as afraid of him as the rest, and did not even try to befriend somepony. He was later known as 'the pony studying under the large tree', by the other unicorns, and nopony had ever cared to talk to him. But Lightningbolt was talking to him! Her voice was not filled with suspiciously or fear, rather the opposite: she found him cool! Deathaok talked more about Equestria for Lightningbolt, about his escape from the prison and what he know about the stones of insight. She responded by teaching him some simple phrases in Scardivariska. After a lot of failed tries and laughter, Deathoak finally mastered "Min panna ser ut som en manlig könsdel.", which apperantly meant "I am a cool black Unicorn!" in Scardivariska, but he wasn't sure if that was true... Lightningbolt was no longer just a simple companion to Deathoak anymore: she was his friend. He had never had a friend before... Chapter 3- The stones of insightRainbow Dash quickly flew between the buildings as he introduced them to Landstrider. “…And here’s the town hall! And oh look, here’s Sugar cube corner, they makes awesome pastry, and here is the School yard…” All houses looked different; there weren’t two buildings alike in the whole village. Landstrider tried to memorize as much places as he could but with Rainbow Dash pace, it was hard. Foxie walked closer to Landstrider. He had never liked crowded places. There were too much tight spaces and too little open areas for his taste. Landstrider on the other hand found the Ponyville tour quite enjoyable. It was like every corner had something special to it. Ponyville was not as sophisticated village as the Centaurion villages but not as simple as the Zebra towns. He liked that. Ponyville had one thing in common with other villages in Equestria: all houses were only big enough for one family. Another thing similar to other villages was the huge variation in stores and culture buildings. Just as Applejack had said, Ponyville had a lot of different businesses going on for being a small village. As they walked through the town, everypony they passed gave the moving pile of package a long lock. Landstrider was used to stand out, but he never had liked it… Other than that, Ponville seemed like a friendly town. All ponies greeted Rainbow Dash when they saw her and there was a generally happy feeling in the atmosphere. Happiness might seem like a ridicules thing to notice but smiling was a very rare thing in bigger cities. The stress in larger settlements often gave ponies a more troubled look when they were out on the streets. Another strange thing Landstrider noticed was that the big variation of Pegasi and Unicorns. Earth ponies used to be the dominant population in villages like these and Unicorns was the major one in cities. When it came to Pegasi, Landstrider had no idea where they lived. The only time he ever saw a Pegasus show up was during the days, and they disappeared as the evening approach. Here in this village, there were almost equally many Earth ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi, despite it was late afternoon! “Rainbow Dash, can I ask you something?” Landstrider screamed to his guide. “…And here is– Oh, of course!” The blue mare quickly flew away from a green house, into a more ‘conversation-friendly' distance with her friend. It made Landstrider blink from the sudden wind the pegasus had brought with her from her fast approach. “Does all the Pegasuses in Equestria live here? I have never seen so many Pegasi in one place before...” He looked around again and saw several Pegasi walking out from one of the shops into another. So many Pegasi... "Haha, very funny Landstrider, very funny!" Dash laughed a little bit effortless like she had just been the victim from one of Pinkie's pranks. When she realized that he wasn't joking at all, he gave him a shocked look. "Don't tell me you were actually serious??" A little bit unease, he scrapped the ground with his hoof. "Well, um..." "HAHAHAHAHA!" Landstrider stumbled from the sudden slam on the back from the laughing Pegasus. "You thought... You actually thought that..." She could barely levitate from the wildly snickering. Without noticing it, Dash was attracting even more attention to Landstrider with her loudly laughing. The grey pony felt their questioning stares burn his neck and Foxie hide behind his legs. Landstrider was a stallion that had learned to always make the best out of every situation, and he couldn't find anything better to do but to laugh nervously with Rainbow. He could hear the crowd mumbling what the fuzz was all about. After a couple of awkward seconds, the laughing wheatear patroller eventually recovered. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" she said somewhat stuttering. "What in Equestria makes you think that ALL pegasi lived in Ponyville??" Landstrider could hear the mumbling go louder from behind him. "Well, as I said..." he tried to talk as quietly as possible to make the large crowd lose interest in him. "I have never seen so many Pegasi in one place before. In all the other cities, they barely seem to exist and the few I see are often gone before afternoon. It is almost evening now so it confounded me!" His plan seemed to work, but not the way he had intended it to work. "How can somepony NOT know where Pegasi lives?" "Was he raised in a cave or something?" "I'm sure that this is just one of Rainbow Dash's 'practical jokes', although I do admit he looks a little bit... Daft, don't you think?" The ponies around them started to scatter, but the damage was already done. Their muffling had somewhat hurt him, but he was used to be the ''uncivilized' ' pony wherever he came. Being raised on a farm, parentless from fillyhood, and on the travelling road since didn't exactly contribute to becoming 'sophisticated'. He tried to look on the bright side. Entering Ponyville must have been one of the top five most eventful things that had ever done, he thought. Scaring a pony to death, meeting a sport celebrity (well, he thought Rainbow Dash was a celebrity), being attacked by a red mountain, being accused of stealing, eating one of the most amazing food he had ever tasted, being the laughing stock of the town... Well, I still need a dragon, a surprise party and a crazy time-travelling pony, before this village tops the 'most craziest town in the world' list, He said ironically to himself. Dash voice interrupted his thoughts. "But duh!" she answered his question with her eyes rolling sarcastically. "Of course they disappear before the sundown, why would they want to fly home in the dark?" She said it like it was the clearest thing in the world. For Landstrider, it wasn't. "But where do they go then? And are not you worried about 'flying home in the dark'?" he asked with a little bit more self-confidence now when the crowd was gone. "They fly home of course!" She snorted. "And I don't live up in the sky but in a cloudhouse near Ponyville, it is much closer to work that way. After all, I am in charge of Ponyville's weather!" The last word came out more as a boasting than information. "D-did you say in the sky??" The Earth pony took a step backwards. "Yes of course! Well, there is some few Pegasi that lives on the ground but it is totally boring! Up in the sky, you have so much more awesome freedom!" She made a couple of spins to demonstrate what she meant. When she saw that Landstrider looked even more puzzled than before, she stopped flying around. "You don't know much about Pegasi, do you?" "Hehe, well not really, you see: There are no Pegasi where I am from, and I have barely met a Pegasus before..." he said a bit nervously. The blue mare gasped. "There are no Pegasuses at all in Scardiva??" But then, Dash remembered what Applejack had told her about Scardiva, that it had been founded by a group of Earth ponies, and Earth ponies alone. But two Earth ponies could get a Pegasus baby as well, the Cake couple had had it, and Dash remembered a Pegasus couple back in Cloudsdale that had got a Unicorn for a baby. "Not a single Pegasus and very few Unicorns!" Landstrider commented. Dash told him what was on her mind: “But isn’t there even one Pegasus in entire Scardiva? I mean, two Earth ponies can have a Pegasus filly as well as a Unicorn filly, it happens all the time in Ponyville.” Well, all the time was to exaggerate it but it did happen, and that was the point. -- "Is-is that what I think it is?" Landstrider heard himself ask his parents. They didn't answer. The newborn thing continued to scream loudly on the tiny haystack... -- The Scardivarian winced uncomfortably. “Well, um… It is true but, um…” Dash looked puzzled at him. Is he sweating? He definitely looks startled... -- The constant panting from her exhausted mother made him scared. The thing mother had contrived out still screamed from the top of its lounges. It looked like a pony combined with a bat. He didn't mind bats but this? "Is it?" He asked confused again. The silence was killing him. Landstrider wasn't used to see his parents this worried. Even if they hadn't grown a single potato one season they would still smile and somehow go through it. But now, his mother was almost passing out and his father looked like he had seen a monster. "Yes, son..." His father eventually said trembling. Landstrider had never heard his father sound so... Afraid. "Yes, your sister has wings..." -- “I… I will explain that to you later, um… Tell me more about Pegasi instead! You know how little I know about them hehe.” He made a nervous smile. The blue mare gladly changed the subject to Pegasi in Equestria, or rather about how awesome it was being a Pegasus herself, but her lonely audience hardly paid any attention to her. His mind was too busy remembering… Remembering things that still haunted his dreams… “…and here is the library you wanted to visit!” Landstrider snapped out from his thoughts and looked at the housetree that was in front of him. The best word to describe place was just that: housetree. Rainbow Dash walked to the door and knocked on it. “My friend Twilight lives here!” she said to Landstrider and soon enough, a purple unicorn opened the door. “Hi Twilight!” “Hi Dashie!” The unicorn looked at the new pony. “And who is this?” “This is Landstrider, he is from Scardiva.” Twilight looked curios at the newcomer. “Hi," he said and held out his hoof in greeting. The unicorn smiled and cleared her throat. “Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle and my favorite color is purple,” she said and accepted his hoofshake. Landstriders stood paralyzed for a brief second by the shock of hearing his native language being spoken by a seemly Equestrian pony. Foxie winced as well, and Rainbow Dash was also taken by surprise. “You… You know Scardivariska?” Landstrider asked confused. The lavender unicorn giggled amused. “No I can’t speak Scardivariska. I only know a few words from the language-course introduction back in Celestia's magic school for talented Unicorns. I could choose between Zebrarian, Centaurian or Scardivariska but I choose Centuarian.” She squeed. “Anyway what are you doing so far from your homeland? Isn't it pretty dangerous for anypony to leave that place?” Landstrider recovered from his shock and chough. “Hrm yes, it was a little bit difficult to cross the border but I managed. I am an adventurer and my next adventure is inside the Everfree forest. If you have any books about it, its plants and creatures in particularly, I would appreciate to borrow them, since I assume that this is a library...” “The Everfree forest? Yes I got a couple of books on it... Come on in, and sorry about the mess: A little magical experiment didn't go as planned and I haven't tasked Spike with cleaning it up yet!” She waved them in and they gladly followed her. The first impression Landstrider got was the complete mess the place was in. Books were scattered everywhere, and a table lay knocked over in the middle of it. The place was some sort of crazy mix of a library and a warzone. The next impression was a little bit more positive: the warmth from the fire place made him feel all cozy inside. He took a deep breath and exhaled satisfied. But the familiar sound of Foxie squealing woke him up, and he slammed his forehead with his hoof. “Oh that is right!" He proclaimed. "Is it okay that Foxie here can come in to? I have taught him to not enter buildings without my permission. He is a nice fox…” He pointed his hoof towards Foxie. “Um, yea sure, as long as it doesn’t eat books of course.” Twilight said. Landstrider laughed. “Don’t worry, he will not.” “SPIKE! WE GOT GUESTS.” A tiny voice that seemed to come from this 'Spike' answered the call. “I’m coming!” Suddenly, Foxie smelled danger. He started to growl silently. Not being hungry anymore made Landstrider's reflexes work as intended, and he immediately responded to his fox warning. “Be prepared everypony, something is about to happen...” he warned the other ponies quietly, as he slowly reached for his staff. “What do you mea–“ Before Dash had time to finish her sentence, a red projectile leaped over the books towards the stairs, followed with loud barks. “DRAGON!” Landstrider rushed over to Foxie and quickly placed the tip of his staff at the small dragon’s throat, preventing it from breathing fire. “STOP! DON’T HURT HIM!” The librarian quickly channeled her magic to cast the very familiar spell that had saved her friends several times before. Landstrider and Foxie jumped back from the sudden flash of light beneath them. When they had recovered, the dragon was gone. Confused, they looked around and found it sitting on the purple pony's back. Landstrider had no idea what had just happened, but he didn't have time to stop think about exactly. Still in his fighting stance, he slowly approached the purple mare. “Do not move Ms. Sparkle. I know this will come as a shock, but there is a dragon sitting on your back but just stay still and-” “It is a baby dragon, he is harmless!” Twilight assured, and took some steps away from the approaching stallion. “That is why we need to finish it off meanwhile it is still harmless.” He had seen too many dragons pillaging towns and leaving them half destroyed to ever feel compassion towards them, not even for baby dragons. Suddenly, Landstrider found his way blocked by a blue pegasus. “If you lay a single hoof on Spike, I will shove your staff up your flank!” Rainbow said and put up her hoofs like it was a boxing fight. The unicorn levitated her friend away from Landstrider. “Dash! Calm down, we don’t want a fight in the library, it all is just a misunderstanding...” "Misunderstanding?" Landstrider said frustrated. "It is a dragon, there is no misunderstandings here! We need to kill it before anything bad happens!" Spike's whole body was shaking with fear and it made him almost fall from Twilight's back. “W-who is that pony?” he asked Twilight stuttering. He hadn't been this scared since that time he accidently walked into that dragon-lair a half year from now. It was not that he was used to being attacked by murderous creatures... “His name is Landstrider and he is not from Equestria. He has probably never seen a baby dragon before…” “I have seen a baby dragon alright!” The grey pony interrupted. “And even in their young age they stole our corps and smashed our chicken eggs!” The tension was high in the air. Dash looked like she was going to charge at Landstrider at any second now, while Foxie continued to bark loudly. Twilight felt Spike's shivers, and she struggled to remain civilized. Okay Twilight: remember that he isn't from Equestria, and that Dragons are a major problem in Scardiva. His behavior is totally understandable and you should not do anything rushed. She took a deep breath. “I know there are a lot of wild dragons in Equestria, but in Spikes current state, he is just as polite and nice as you and me.” “Dragons are never something to play with, and definitely nothing to have as a pet!” Now Spike reacted. “I’m not a pet!” he said with a sudden boost of confidence. “Well, you don’t see me as a pet, do you Twilight?” He gave the unicorn a nervous look. “Of course not Spike! Spike here is my friend and not a pet! He has been my number one assistant ever since he was born, and he has always been there for me, no matter how though things have got! I will never see him as anything else than a friend!” Spike crossed his arms. “That’s right!” He said cocky, but you could hear some relieve in that tiny voice... “You said he have been your assistant ever since he was born? So you mean that you actually stole a dragon egg?" He looked sarcastically at Twilight. "I do not think so…” “Of course I haven’t! It was the passing test for the Canterlots magic school for gifted unicorns.” “So, in order to go to magic school in Equestria, a filly needs to steal a dragon egg?” “No! We don’t steal dragon eggs. We only hatch it with our magic.” “But where is the egg from then? Somepony must have taken it from a dragon at some point!” She had never really thought about it before. How did the magic school actually got hold of their dragon eggs? “Well um…” “If it was not a dragon we were talking about, I would be ashamed of Equestria. No living animal should have their parents taken away from them!” Rainbow gnashed her teeth. That was enough for the blue pegasus. “Spike is not an animal and you better stop talk about him like he is one!” No one insult one of her friends when she was around, dragon or pony! The lavender unicorn was a little bit staggered from Landstrider's words. Oh dear Celestia, don't let those words hurt Spike... It was quite true that Spike had been born into slavery, and she remembered the identical problems he had for about a half-year ago... Luckily, it seemed that Celestia had listened to her thoughts. “I am glad that I was raised by ponies instead of my real dragon parents,” Spike said proudly. ”I have seen how my kind is and I would never want to be as brutish and cruel as they are! Plus, there is no better foster parent than Twilight! She has taken care of me better than any dragon parent would ever have done, and I have learned so much from her!” Twilight's heart melted from her little assistant's speech. She didn't know that she meant that much for the tiny dragon. She hadn't realized until now that she was practically his mother! Maybe I should start paying more attention to Spike in the future... Perhaps I should give him a day off and clean the library myse- She suddenly coughed when she breathed in some kind of weird, pink smoke rising from the overturned glass bottles that she had used for her last experiment. It seemed like the ingredients had created some pink, fluffy, liquid that was now spreading out all over the scattered books. Oooor maybe I just give him some more gems for breakfast tomorrow... Landstrider had to admit that he was a little bit impressed that the dragon actually found his own race to be ‘brutish’. It showed it had a sense of good and evil, but it didn't change his basic opinion. “Animal or not, I would still keep an eye on him.” He sheathed his staff and commanded Foxie to not attack the purple little thing. Foxie muttered angrily in return. “Give him a chance, and you will see that dragons can be very intellectual and independent beings,” Twilight assured him. “Take this for an example: Spike, gather all the books about Everfree forest please.” "Yes Ma'am!" The dragon quickly jumped off Twilights back and grabbed a nearby ladder. He didn't want to disappoint Twilight now in front of the stranger, especially not when she had basically bragged about him. 'Everfree Forest and it's inhabitancy', 'The Everfree forest: A survival guide for dummies', 'The magical plants of the Everfree Forest'... He threw all the books he could find about the subject in a small pile in front of the larger mess. He groaned when he realized who would be forced to clean up the chaos afterwards... Landstrider was impressed over how quickly and accurate the little creature was, but then again, all dragons knew everything about their lair… Now when the tension was slightly gone, Twilight curiously picked up 'So you are going into the Everfree Forest? The ten best ways to plan your funeral' and looked at Landstrider. “So anyway what are you looking for in the Everfree forest? You wouldn’t go in there without a goal, would you?” “I am looking for–“ The entrance door suddenly slammed open and a pink pony bounced in from it. “Hi Twi- HUUUUUUUUUH!” the pink pony gasped and then rushed out of the library just as fast as she had came. There was a short second of silence as everypony tried to figure out what just happened. Landstrider was the first one to recover from the shock. “Umm… That was…” Twilight groaned nonchalant. “That was Pinkie Pie. Don’t worry, she does that.” The grey pony shook away the thousands of questions that popped inside his mind and started all over. “I am looking for one of the stones of insight. It is said that one is located in the Everfree forest, so if you have any books about it I would like to borrow them too.” “The stones of insight… Where have I heard about them before…Spike?” “I’m on it!” And in a heartbeat, he held "Old myths and fairytales" in his hand waving it towards Twilight. She caught the book with her magic and began to read it. “…there are six stones of insight scattered all over the world, each one symbolizing a trait that is hidden deep inside everypony's heart. When all stones are gathered in front of its creator, the wielders inner dreams will come true…” She looked up on Landstrider from her book. “What do you want the stones for? It is too much power for just anypony to collect.” “I am not after the stone itself,” Landstrider defended himself. “As I said, I am an adventurer and this stone is just another adventure. Besides, it is only a myth; they might not even be real at all.” “But if they are real they are better of hidden.” “Perhaps, but I still think they are harmless. They are scattered across the world! And even if they all were found, no one would know who the creator of the stones is. And even if they knew who it was, he or she would probably be dead a long time ago.” Landstrider cleared his throat before explaining. “My theory is that for a long time ago, a powerful Unicorn created the stones and meant to rule the world with it. But before the unicorn could use them, the unicorn was discovered and forced to hide the stones across the world. The unicorn was the only one who knew how to use them correctly and therefore the stones must be shown to the unicorn before being effective.” Landstrider made a short pause. “So that is why I think they are harmless.” Twilight was not convinced. “What if the creator of them is an immortal being like Celestia or Luna? There must be other creatures like alicorns that are immortal in this world. Or what if someone else figures out how to use them? We know much more about magic now than we did for ‘a long time’ ago…” “You worry too much Twi!” The flying pony rolled her eyes to emphasize what she said. Dash had calmed down from the Spike incident and was now on Landstriders side of the argument. "It's like that time you meet yourself from the future to tell yourself not to worry about worrying for the future! You need to relax Twi!" The unicorn muttered something for herself. "Yes, that incident was embarrassing alright, but this time I’m not worrying: I’m looking at the possibilities!” "It is the same thing as worrying!" The blue mare said frustrated. "No it is not Rainbow! There is a clear difference between blablabla-" The stallion didn't pay any more attention to the discussion and began to shove down the books in one of his backs. “It is getting late and I still have nowhere to stay. It was nice to meet you Twilight but I need to find somewhere to live before the sun completely goes down…” He swings up his bag on his back. “I will stay here in Ponyville for a few days and prepare for the adventure. I will return your books before entering the forest so you do not need to... worry!” With a big grin he pointed his hoofs towards Dash, which returned the gesture. "I see what you did there!" The pegasus replied with an equally large grin. Spike snickered from Twilight's back but immediately cut it from the hazardous look the unicorn gave him. “So is there an inn of some sort here? You did not show me any when we walked around the town...” The Pegasus scratched his head puzzled. She wasn’t sure, she never had looked for one. “I don’t think so. Do you know if there’s an inn in Ponyville?” She turned to Twilight. "Hrmmmf, I don't think you should... worry about it!" The lavender unicorn tried too to get a laugh from her blue friend but Dash just shook her head disappointed. "Twi, too soon...." With a load groan, Twilight focused on the question instead. The joke hadn't been funny in the first place anyway... “I think Filthy Rich have a hotel somewhere, but that is about it…” A hotel? Landstrider remembered the last time he had slept in a hotel. He had been forced to clean the dishes in two weeks before he finally had afforded to pay the bill for just one night! "I-I don't think I can afford a hotel, I need an inn..." He said disappointed. Just after his words, the entrance door slammed open and out from it popped up a familiar face. “No need to go to the Hotel, it costs more than two Sweet Apple Acrees, and there is no inn in Ponyville, I can tell ya that! But you can always sleep in my barn if you’re goin’ to stay here for awhile.” Landstrider turned around and lightened up. “Are you sure you want to do that for me?” He asked Applejack surprised. “Thank you Applejack, the barn is perfect!” “Oh shooch, it ain’t nothin’! I show ya where it is.” The farmer gave the others a meaning look. “Ya’ll probably should follow me to the barn as well.” Her friends returned her look with confused faces. “What do you mean? Why do I have to come too?” Rainbow asked annoyed. “Well, let’s just say that Pinkie Pie saw Landstrider…” Both ponies immediately understood and agreed on following. Landstrider around confused. “Um, is there something I should know about this Pinkie Pie?” “You’ll get your answers faster than a vespid pricked cow, just follow me to the barn and you’ll see what I mean,” Applejack said. Her words didn’t really relax Landstrider. “Okay I coming Applejack,” Twilight said and looked on Spike. “Spike, you're coming too?” The purple dragon gave the fox a scared stare and then shook his head. “No I’m better of here and clean up the mess,” he answered a little bit distant. “Sure there is nothing I should now?” Landstrider asked a bit anxious again. “Relax, it will be fun!” Dash said and gave Landstrider a friendly smack on his back.Landstrider muttered something in his own language and then reluctantly followed the three ponies out of the housetree. “Foxie, are you coming?” Landstrider looked at his fox. Foxie nodded to Landstrider, but before he followed him he gave the baby dragon a deadly glare. Spike made an ugly grimaced in return and the fox slowly left the library with a lowered growl. After a long walk, they eventually reached the barn. The darkness around them indicated that it was now evening, and chilly winds swept through the ponies, as they stood outside the barn. Landstrider had become rather suspicious from the mysterious behavior. “Okay, can somepony please explain to me what is going on, now when we finally reached the barn?” “Just walk in and you'll see,” Applejack said with an encouraging tune. The other ponies tried to hide a laugh, but some single giggles couldn’t be suppressed. Something was going on, he thought, but as long as Foxie didn’t snarl of danger, it was okay to go in… He slowly opened the door to the barn, ready for anything that could be inside… Anything except that! “SURPRISE!!” Landstrider jumped back startled and by instinct reached for his staff. The barn was filled with ponies, and a lot of confetti suddenly sprung up in the air. The pink pony Landstrider had seen earlier appeared in front of him and she kept bouncing up and down in excitement. “Welcome to Ponyville! I am Pinkie Pie and when I heard that you were staying in Applejacks barn I was like HUUUUUUUUUH so I gather everypony in town because I know everypony in town and I want you to feel welcome! Do you feel welcome?” Foxie groaned loudly. This was enough for him. Sure, being yelled at for trying to defend his master, being forced to walk into the town, being mocked by a dragon… He could take it. But more crazy ponies when all he wanted was some rest? It was the last straw. He turned around and ran into some nearby bushes for some silence and peace. “Foxie!” Dash said and prepared to go after him but Landstrider stopped her. “Don’t worry about Foxie, he can handle himself.” Pinkie was not happy with being ignored. “DO YOU FEEL WELCOME?!” she screamed right in the strangers face. “Ummm…” Landstrider tried to recover from his concussion. “H-how did you even know I was staying in the barn, and how did you manage to get all the stuff here so quickly?” The stallion looked at the other three ponies for answers. Twilight sighed. “She is Pinkie Pie. If we somehow could figure it out ourselves, we would.” Pinkie kept bouncing around Landstrider. “You already met Twilight and Rainbow Dash? Are you good friends with them? They are my best friends! We all could be best friends! You could be best friends with everypony!” Pinkie Pie made a short pause to inhale. “What is your name?” It took a second for Landstrider to realize that she actually had asked a question to him. “Um, you can call me Landstrider…” “Landstrider? That’s a weird name! I have never heard of someone called Landstrider before!” The pink blur's bouncing made the grey stallion even dizzier. “Are you happy that I threw this party just for you? I would be happy if somepony threw a party for me. Or if they threw a party at all, I love parties!” Pinkie Pie talked so fast that Landstrider had hard times understanding what she was saying at all. “If I like parties? I-I think I rather want to get some sleep instead…” Pinkie Pies smile widened and she looked closer at Landstrider. “You can’t be tired now! It’s your party! It would be silly if you were tired on your own party, don’t you think?” “Um…” Landstrider looked begging at the other ponies. Applejack got the hint and came to his rescue. “Pinkie Pie, go easy on the fellow, he had a lon’ journey.” Pinkie Pies smile quickly turned to a frown. “Aww but I want to party! I always party when a new pony comes to town…” “Sugarcube, you always want to party! Let Landstrider here get some rest.” Pinkie Pie looked like she was going to cry. Landstrider scratched his head and smiled uncertainly. “Hehe, It is nice meeting you Pinkie but right now, I really should get some sleep. But…” A familiar sight made him stop right in his tracks. A yellow pony with a pink mane stood in a corner inside the barn, drinking something from a glass. Was, was that Fluttershy? He squinted with his eyes to see better… Suddenly, the pony looked up and their eyes met. His hurt made a double beat. It was Fluttershy! There was a short second where they just stood and looked at each other in cheer surprise. Eventually, the yellow pony hid her face in her mane and tried to get some ponies between herself and Lanstrider. Yes, it was definitely her! He lightened up. This was a great opportunity to make up to her! “…but I guess a little party won’t hurt…” he then said with an awkward smile. “YES I KNEW IT!” Pinkie jumped on Landstrider, almost knocking him to the ground with her big hug. The stallion flinched from the sudden Pink attack and stumbled around for a brief second. When he got grasp of himself again, Fluttershy was gone. “Excuse me for a second,” he said and quickly walked towards the place he had seen Fluttershy. The rest of the ponies tried to grasp what just had happened. First he didn't want a party and now he wanted one? Eventually, Applejack spoke up. “Should we follow him?” She looked questioning at her friends. “I think we should let him be for today,” Twilight said “He can handle himself without our constant nagging. Let’s go find Rarity instead.” The rest of the ponies agreed. “I think I saw her at the punch!” Pinkie said and she quickly disappeared in the vast crowd of ponies. Twilight and the rest of the ponies tried to catch up with her, but something suddenly caught Twilight's attention. She turned around and saw something pink and yellow leaving the barn. It doesn't take a Star Swirl the bearded to figure out who that was... “Go without me I just need to do something first...” she said and galloped after Fluttershy. Once outside, she found her halfway down the hill, patting Landstriders fox. “Fluttershy wait!” Foxie jumped away startled from the sudden appearance of the purple Unicorn that seemed to have popped up from nowhere. “Don’t worry Foxie, it is only Twilight's teleporting…” Fluttershy calmed the fox down and continued to stroke his fur. “Fluttershy, isn’t it a little bit early to leave the party, even for you?” Twilight asked her. Fluttershy looked up. “When Pinkie told me about the party, she didn’t tell me it was for Landstrider…” she said and continued to pat Foxie. The unicorn took a step back in surprise. “How did you know his name was Landstrider? Have you met him before?” She nodded. “I met him in on my way to the crows…” Fluttershy looked like she was going to hide from a dragon again. It was unusual, even for Fluttershy. Twilight examinee her friend closer. “What happened? Did he hurt you? You seem scared…” The pegasus avoided Twilight's questioning look and focused her gaze at the red fur. “He hasn’t done anything… I just don’t like him, that’s all,” she snorted. The unicorn gave the pegaus a cynical look. “Fluttershy! I haven’t met anypony you don’t like!” “Well, now you have!” The were a short pause were Twilight didn't find what words to say. She would expect this kind of behavior from Rarity, not from Fluttershy! Foxie growled in delight when Fluttershy's snout strokes his fur. “You know you can trust me Fluttershy…” “There is nothing to it!" she burst out. "As much as we disliked Trixxie when she arrived to town, I dislike Landstrider, there’s nothing strange with that!” “You cannot compare Landstrider to Trixxie. Trixxie was a boaster, and you barely know Landstrider! I can agree that he is a little bit strange but you even snuggle with his Fox!” “The fox and Landstrider are two different things. This fox is beautiful! Do you see how red it is? And its fur feels so relaxing to pat. Here, try it.” She waved invitingly towards Twilight. Did… did Fluttershy tried to change subject?, Twilight was utterly confused. This was NOT the Fluttershy she knew. “Fluttershy, I now there is something you don’t tell me,” the Unicorn said frustrated. “I have told you everything there is to know! I just feel uncomfortable near him, that’s all. Now, give Foxie here a pat…” “Fluttershy, you feel uncomfortable near everypony you recently met!” “Yes, but I fell extra uncomfortable near this one. He makes me nervous… More nervous than other ponies do.” She made a heavy sigh. “I am sorry Twilight, I just can’t go to this party, I just can’t. Can we talk about something else?” She put on her puppet eyes but Twilight wasn’t the pony who gives up that easily. “Can you at least tell me what he has done or does that make you feel so uncomfortable?” “I… I don’t know Twilight. I just… He makes me afraid…” “You can’t be afraid of somepony without a good reason!” “Yes I can…” “Fluttershy, you can’t! Is it that he is from Scar- “ “YES I CAN!” The before timid pony suddenly exploded. Foxie panicked and ran off into the bushes again. Twilight’s brain had stopped working. S-s-she... H-how... W-w-when... When Fluttershy realized what she had done, she curled up into her mane as usual. “Sorry Twilight, I mean um… Come back Foxie, please... Um, Twilight, please stop asking me questions, um… I can handle myself from here…” she whispered and began walking down the hill, her head sunk to the ground. Still in shock from her friend's extremely odd behavior, Twilight saw her friend slowly disappear in the late evening. I know she is hiding something… Twilight thought to herself. And I’m going to find out what it is! Maybe Landstrider isn’t as innocent as he seems to be… Concerned, she walked back to the barn and joined the party… Oh, Fluttershy, what have happen to you? Landstrider took another desperate look around the barn, hoping to find what he searched for. Green ponies, blue ponies, brown ponies, Pegasi, Unicorns and Earth ponies, but no Fluttershy. He sighed. There was no use. If she still was inside the barn, he would have found her by now. It was like she had mysteriously disappeared from the barn... “Ah, you must be Landstrider! I have heard so much about you from my friend Rainbow Dash…” He turned around and gasped. The white unicorn that had spoke was dressed with the most magnificent dress he had ever seen! The dress had a perfect combination of blue and white, with gems holding it all together. Her blue eyes twinkled from the lights and she held up her head like a noble. Only on some few royal weddings he had been lucky enough to participate in matched this glorious sight which he now beholds. This must be somepony from Equestria's higher court. He was speechless. “I am Rarity,” the unicorn said and put forth her hoof, expecting a hoofshake. Landstrider's brain maid a triple volt. How did the royal families he had seen behave in these situations? He took the hoof and gave it a tender kiss. The royal pony seemed to be delighted by the gesture and he puffed out relieved. He had remembered right. “It is a pleasure to see that a pony with manners has arrived here in Ponyville,” Rarity said and blinked with her eyelashes. “How does it come that a pony from the royal court is attending on a strangers surprise party?” “Oh, please, I’m a simple pony, just like you.” she said fluttered but it was clearly that she liked the thought of being mistaken for a pony from the royal court. “So tell me, is the rumors true? Are you really from Scardiva?” “What you have heard is true Madame…” “Oh dear, please do call me Ms. Rarity.” She giggled a little. “And it is so excited to have a conversation with a pony from abroad, don't you think?" Before he had time to answer, the dressed unicorn suddenly jumped back startled with a small squeak. "I-is something wrong Ms. Rarity?" the stallion stumbled out. "Um, well, I can tell that you are really... attached to your hat Landstrider..." The grey stallion took of his large broomed hat. "Yes, it has been with me since I left the apes..." The Unicorn shook her head. "No no no, that will not do!" she said and pointed her hoof against the many holes of the old hat. "THAT will not do! If I had known I would have brought with me my stitching tools!" Landstrider's breath got stuck in his throat when a blue aura suddenly surrounded the hat and lifted it towards the Unicorn. "Yes, I know exactly what this beauty needs! It will be fancy but not fabulous! It would ruin its practical usage. And a few stitches here would be just perfect! And..." Landstrider didn't really know what to do. A dressed Unicorn taking and examine his hat without his permission wasn't really a situation he could claim he was used to. He tried to be polite. "Umm, I am sorry Ms. Rarity, but could you please give me my back hat?" He put on a forced smile. The white pony flinched, like she had just had woke up from a dream. "Oh, but of course!" The hat levitated magically onto the grey pony's head. "But don't hesitate coming down to my Boutique before you leave and I will make your hat as fresh as new, I can assure!" He didn't really want his hat to be fixed. There was a hidden charm in wearing an overused hat he could not really explain. Like a good luck charm, or something that indicated that it was him... "We will see about that, Ms. Rarity." He said a little bit avoiding. "Oh, but you simply MUST! Otherwise, you will look like my friend Applejack who insists on wearing the same old hat she have weird since she was a filly! Yes of course it is a pretty memory, but even memories needs to be freshened up in order to remain, don't you agree?" "Umm..." His eyes bounced back and forth. Would he say what he thought or what the pony wanted to hear? It was one of those things he had learned during his travels, that sometimes, it is better to say what a pony want you to say instead of saying what you personally thought, especially when it came to the upper classes. He had learned this the hard way when a Centaurian Prince had asked him if he liked his vest. He had almost been banished from their country when he had been honest! Luckily, he didn't have to think about it. Suddenly, a large sound from scattered glass turned everypony's attention towards the punch table. The punch bowl was indeed the source of the turmoil, and the sticky fluid slowly evolved into a large pond of Apple cider. It filled the air with a sweet, attractive smell. A grey, eyed-crossed Pegasus levitated over the whole mess and tried to look as innocent as possible. “Oh dear, it seems like there has been a misunderstanding..." The voice came from a brown Earth pony with a clock as cutiemark. "I asked for a glass of punch, not a bowl of punch!” When the Pegasus answered, she did it with a weak and pitiful voice. “I-I’m sorry Dr Whooves…” The barn was in complete silence. Is- is my mind playing tricks on me? Landstrider rubbed his eyes so he could observe the scene better. The grey pony looked exactly like she was from… Nonono, she can’t be, she is a Pegasus after all! It is just a coincidence! He told himself and was just about to not pay it more attention when something else got his interest. Somepony in the crowd broke the silence. “Don’t worry everypony, it’s just Derpy again!” he shouted. The crowd made some understanding nods and muffled laughs before everything turned back to normal again (except for the large spot of punch on the floor). Derpy? Was her name really Derpy? In that case she must be from... Never mind, I must have heard wrong... Once again, he was just about to stop thinking about the crossed-eyed pony but it was like fate wanted him to draw that particular connection in his mind. “Hohoho, Don’t mind Derpy my dear.” Rarity laughed. “She is always a little… Dizzy so to say.” Derpy! Her name was really Derpy! This is more than just coincidences; this can only mean one thing… “Excuse me Ms. Rarity, but I must go…” he hasty excused and before Rarity could react, he was gone among the crowd. He kept his eyes fixed on the grey pony. This pony he was not going to miss! He barely could believe his eyes! He wasn't the only pony from Scardivaria here! The pony Derpy had learned to know as 'Doctor Whooves' looked at her curiously. "This might seem like an odd question..." he started. Derpy already knew it was something pony related when he starts a question like that. It was like he had never seen a pony before. "...but are all ponies this... clumsy, so to say? And don't take me the wrong way, it would only be reasonable if ponies were clumsy because... you know, we have these hoofs and..." "No, it is just me..." Derpy said sadly. "Oh? But then, another question:" The doctor cleared his throat. "Do ponies drink from bowls instead of glasses? Because for me, it seemed rather illogical that you actually try to lift the bowl to me instead of..." "No, I just misheard you..." "Oh? Okay, well that is alright! It can happen to anyone I suppose..." "'Anypony', not 'anyone'! And I'm going to look for a mop." As always, Derpy Hooves ruins everything again, she said to herself with a depressed face as she searched for a mop to clean it all up with. Of course it made no sense that the Doctor wanted a bowl of punch instead of a glass, but she just didn't want to let him down. Now when her sister had moved to Canterlot, he was the only friend she had. I guess I'm just as stupid as everypony thinks I am. This party, the mailmare had said to herself that she would NOT make a fool out of herself like every other party she attended. But even this time she had managed to do just that. She couldn’t understand why Pinkie Pie always insisted that she would come to her parties. She would only ruin them anyway! She felt like a constant burden for everypony to bear. She was just about to fly over to Applejack to ask for a mop when a voice she didn’t recognize called her name. “Stop Derpy!” She turned around and saw that it was the new pony in town, the pony this party was for all about. What could anypony, especially a stranger want with a clumsy mailpony? She asked herself. “Huh?” “You–you are from Scardiva, are you not?” the stranger said and looked excited at her. Scardiva? Wasn’t that a pony? Or a mountain? Derpy couldn’t remember where she had heard it from. “Huh?” “Your grey skin…” the strange pony panted excited. ”Only ponies from Scardiva have that light grey skin! You must be from Scardiva!” Was there something wrong with my skin now? She began examine her body but it all looked as it always did to her. It was still the same, boring light grey as it always was... It was clear that the strange pony was thrilled over something, but she had no clue what he was talking about. “Huh?” The pony cleared his throat. “Du kanske inte förstår Equestrian, nu då?”. She took some steps back in confusion. Why did he start to talk gibberish? Maybe the punch was a little bit stronger than she thought it was... “Um, are you alright?” she asked a bit uncomfortable with the situation. “Stop that nonsense Landstrider, you’re makin’ a scene! Derpy ain’t from Scardiva, she have lived here in all her life!” Applejack had entered the conversation with a mop and a bucket in her hoofs. “Derpy is a Scardivan name and her skin is grey! It all leads to the same conclusion: She is from Scardiva!” Now Derpy remembered, Scardiva was a country! But she wasn’t from Scardiva, was she? “Didn't you heard what I said, Landstrider? I agree that Derpy is an odd name alight, but Derpy have lived in this village all her life, with her parents, which are both from Equestria." “Yes, I agree that it would be strange to see a Scardivan pony in Equestria.” The grey stallion looked at Derpy. “If it was not for her wings.” Derpy looked confused at her wings. Whas there something special about them as well as her skin? “What do you mean? Rainbow told me that you told her only Earth ponies lived in Scardiva, and Derpy is clearly a Pegasus!” Is she defending me? Derpy thought. Is being from Scardiva something bad? Applejack had always been the closest thing Derpy had got as a friend until she had met Whooves. But they both lived in completely opposite sides of Ponyville, so they had never really got good opportunity to actually talk to each other. But Applejack knew who she was and always greeted her when she saw her on the streets. She was always so friendly towards her... Landstrider hesitated for a second before speaking again. "I... have a theory...but um..." his swords were a bit staggered. "Do you mind tellin' us about this 'theory' of yours Landstrider? It doesn't seem to be a good one if ya doubt like that." Applejack's words where followed with a long minute of silence. "Let’s walk outside..." The grey earth pony eventually said and nodded them to follow him. Derpy and AJ looked puzzled at each other, before following him towards the exit. Once outside, Landstrider took a deep breath from the fresh air. “What I am going to say now does not apply to me, but it is the grim truth." He looked deep into their eyes. "And I would appreciate if you both could keep this for yourselves." "I promise I won't tell anypony!" Applejack said trustfully. Derpy didn't know what to say. Nopony had ever trusted him with a secret before. She began to feel a little bit scared and confused... Landstrider didn't wait for an approval from Derpy. "As you both know, before the founding of Scardiva (or you might refer to it as ‘before the rule of Celestia’), the Earth ponies was under the Pegasus’s harsh rule and they were treated very badly. Although the three clans later made peace with each other, Scardiva and his ponies did not. The Pegasuses cruel oppression over the earth ponies is still not forgotten in Scardiva, and whenever a Scardivan family by chance gets a Pegasus filly…” -- "NO!" His mother's terrified screams frightened Landstrider. "YOU WON'T TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME! YOU WON'T, YOU-" One of the dark cloaked ponies slapped his mother to the ground, making her gasp for air. "You have been hiding an arch-enemy from Scardiva! You know what the consequence for that is!" the cloaked one yelled with a merciless voice. "She is just a BABY! A new born BABY!" There was no use. Her mother's cries fell on deaf ears. From Landstrider's hideout, he could see them picking up her sister from the cradle... -- He suddenly felt all his energy being drained away from him in one second and he fell to the ground. It felt very appealing to vomit right there on the spot. He tried not to. "Landstrider, you're alright?" Applejack rushed to him and offered him a helping hoof, but he waved it away. Derpy observed frightened as AJ helped the strange, collapsed, pony up on his feet again. What was going on? Why did he just collapse? She was very confused. He pulled himself together. "T-thanks, I'm fine..." he said, but his shaky voice exposed him. "You sure you shouldn't hit the hay already? Seems to me that you have enjoyed one drink too much..." AJ asked, meaningfully. "N-no, it is not that…" He straightened up. "L-let me continue." "As I said, when a Scardivarian family gets a pegasus filly, t-they cut of its wings and sell it as slaves.” He suppressed another wave of memories. He had never thought meeting another Scardivarian would bring up so many memories! He started to think about his parents again. Oh ancestors so much he missed them! Her mother’s calming touch, his father wise voice... "Umm, what have that story to do with me?" The squeaky voice woke him up to the present and he continued. “But there are some few of us that do not follow this brutal tradition! There are some of us that decide to keep their baby and not letting a pony’s birth determine who you are! But keeping a Pegasus in ones house is dangerous. If somepony not as open minded finds out about it, they will warn the authorities. The authorities will then enslave the family and its Pegasus, accusing them all of treason. And the cruel punishment for treason… is slavery.” Again, Landstrider was forced to stop his story to squeeze out memories. Derpy still was confused and tried to ask something but Applejack put her hoof in Derpy’s mouth with a serious glare to Derpy. Applejack understood that Landstrider needed his time… “In Derpys case, I guess that some Scardivan pony family somehow managed to pass the border guards and move to Equestria. It would at least make some sense…” he eventually ended his story. There was a moment of silence when everypony tried to let the message sunk in. "I'm not sayin' you are wrong Landstrider..." AJ said. "...but there is still one problem: Derpy's parents are both green Unicorns… Shouldn’t they be grey Earth ponies if they were from Scardiva?” The stallion thought about Applejacks question for a second. “Well, maybe something went wrong so they had to abandon Derpy? I do not know, maybe we should ask herself about it.” Landstrider looked at Derpy. “What do you think?” Derpy jumped back slightly startled. She was caught off guard. D-did he really ask *me** for an opinion? No one ever asks me for an opinion!* “Umm… I don’t know…” She looked at the ground with her focused eye. Landstrider's story did make some sense to her; she had always felt like she didn’t belong in Ponyville. In school, for example, she had been the only Pegasus pony, the rest of the pegasi lived in Cloudsdale. On family photos, she had always stuck out: two green unicorns, a green filly unicorn and then Derpy, the grey Pegasus. Speaking of family portraits, she remembers something her mother once had said. The grey mailmare was just a little filly back then, and his parents had been angrier at her than usual. She hadn't thought about what her mother had said at that time to much, there was to many other feelings involving that memory... She remembered that she had recently dropped the newly framed family photo, destroying it completely. A framed photo was quite expensive, so it had been quite a big deal… “The family photo… Newly framed…” Mr. Hooves held the broken photo in his hoofs, thinking about how much bits he had wasted on it. Filly Lyra crawled closer to her mother. Derpy could see that Mrs. Hooves would explode in any second now. And again, she was right. “Do you know how much effort we put up on this photo Derpy?” Mrs. Hooves asked. “Sorry mom…” She whispered. “ I-I just don’t know what went wrong…” “DO you have ANY idea how much effort we put into this?” Her mom asked again, louder this time. Derpy squeed quietly. “THIS, young lady, was the PERFECT family photo. It would live FOR GENERATIONS to come… “ Her mother took a heavy breath. The grey filly tried to make herself as tiny as possible but she knew nothing would help. “It had everything! The right photographer, the right studio, the right background, the right cloths… Even YOU looked okay for once…” Her mom suppressed a tear before continuing. “But you! You’re… crossed eyed, grey, flying plague… You destroyed it!” She was used to be called names but it always felt much worse when they came from her parents… The little filly remained quiet. She saw that her little sister was just as scared as she was. Lyra was one of the few ponies that didn’t see Derpy as a burden… “Derpy… Just… Get out…” Mr. Hooves slowly said before her mother could continue yell at her. She knew what that meant: She was going to sleep on a cloud tonight. She hated sleeping on clouds! It was not that it was cold, it was more that it was… Lonely. So terrible lonely... She sighed heavily in disappointment and slowly walked to the door. The last thing she heard before the door slammed behind her (because of magic), was her mother savage cries… --- Derpy used to move the cloud over his home's roof before going to sleep. She wanted to be as close as possible to her family. She knew which spot was right above her parents’ bedroom, and she could sometimes even hear them talk. This was one of those nights. “This time, it has gone too far!” she heard her mother say. “We must do something about this... this nuisance! I don’t know if I can take it much longer…” “What do you want to do? What is there we can do? We cannot just send her away!” Her father sounded upset. “I know, but can’t we… just go on a vacation or something. Without her, and then never come back?” "Y-you mean like leaving her forever?" "Yes... Think about it James! She might be stupid as a plane, but somepony in town must take care of her eventually, when they see that she is alone that is..." Derpy swallowed. They- they were going to leave her? Forever? Not coming back? She curled up with the cloud in pure desperation. Sometimes, she dreamed nightmares about her family leaving her alone, but she had always told herself it was only dreams. W-was she dreaming now? A cold breeze swept past and told her that she wasn't asleep. Her stomach began to hurt in anxiety again. She felt lonelier then she ever had felt before. The worst thing she knew was being alone... Her Father sighed. “You know we can’t do that to the poor thing… Yes, I agree we could use a break from her but not abandon her completely.” Her mother made a short sigh. “Yes, you're right as always... It is just that... If we hadn’t found her that day, if we hadn’t found her James, we wouldn’t have to put up with this!” Derpy exhaled relieved. Her parents weren't going to leave her. Of course they weren't! This would be just like any other day, and after a week or two, everything would turn back to normal. Her father spoke again. “Perhaps, but we did found her, and we are not as cruel ponies as the ones that left her there.” “Mom? Dad?” Lyra seemed to have entered the room. “Can I sleep in here tonight? I had a bad dream…” Derpy made a tear for her poor sister. She often got nightmares after a ‘Derpy yell out’ and she thought Lyra was taking the blame on herself. "Doesn't she understand that it is always my fault?" the grey filly said out loud, knowing that nopony could hear her. It all made her feel even guiltier… “Again Lyra? You're becoming a big filly soon, you must get over it!” her mother said strictly. “Nonsense! Lyra you are always welcome,” Mr. Hooves said and Derpy could hear her family curl up in the large bed. She often imagined how it was like, sleeping all three in the same bed. She imagined it to be warm, and soft. Her mother would sleep quietly, without snoring or sleep spasm. She would be graceful, even in her sleep. Little Lyra on the other hoof would be flipping around in the bed energetically as she tries to find the perfect sleeping position. Eventually, she would fall asleep by her father's comforting whispers, as he embraces her with both arms. Derpy remembered herself crying that night, wishing that she hadn’t been a grey, crossed eyed freak… Her mother's words echoed in her mind. "If we hadn’t found her that day, if we hadn’t found her James, we wouldn’t have to put up with this!" Derpy had never really thought about those specific words before. Now when she did, she started to think more than she ever had thought about anything before. Maybe this stranger was right. Maybe she wasn't from Equestria at all... But what would that mean? And who where her real parents? “I… think I will ask my parents about this…” Derpy finally said sadly. “I guess it would explain a lot of things… But I want to be sure…” Landstrider nodded. “If I am right, which I am kind of certain that I am, you can always come to me with questions. I will answer as many of them as I can…” Derpy just nodded silently in return and looked transfixed at the grass. “I think I can swoop up the mess in the barn for you Derpy…” Applejack eventually said and with the mop in a tight grip, Applejack disappeared into the barn. Landstrider gave Derpy a pat on her back. “I know there is much for you to swallow, I will always be somewhere near Ponyville when you feel you are ready for it.” Derpy nodded. “Thank you, I guess…” There were so many thoughts circulating in the grey mailmare's mind right now. Where was she from? Who was she suppose to be? Shouldn’t her parents have told her about this if it was true? Every time she thought about one question long enough, two more would pop up. "Oh! There you are Derpy! I have been looking all around fo- Is everything alright my dare?" The voice came from the brown pony Landstrider had seen earlier. "I-I'm fine... I think..." Derpy whispered to her friend in return. "I think Derpy needs some time for herself right now..." Landstrider advised the brown pony. "Oh? Well, I see... Is it something I have caused or..." Derpy shock her head. "No, it is not you, please Whooves, let me just be alone for awhile..." "Oh, very well... I head back home then I suppose... If not my presence is needed of course! But there is a long way home, and I don't have wings you see..." "I see you at home..." Derpy interrupted him. "Oh! Of course my dear! Um, well I will be off then!" The pony walked whistling down the hill towards the small settlement of buildings. After he was out of sight, Landstrider looked at Derpy. "A friend of yours?" Derpy nodded. Suddenly, the fearful voice of the scariest pony Landstrider had ever met made him recoil in pure fear. "Landstrider! There you are!" The pink pony bounced out from seemingly nowhere. "But what are you doing outside? The party is inside the barn silly filly! And same case for you missy!" Before any of the two grey ponies had any time to react, Pinkie had pulled them back into the party. "Are you good at games Landstrider? You know, throwing games? I'm pretty bad myself but it is always fun to see somepony win! Applejack always beats me at horse-shoe throwing, but it is alright, I'm at least having fun! Oh, did you know all the punch have been dried up now? And --" -- The rest of the party went on smoothly except for Landstrider, Derpy and Applejack. They all were in there own deep thoughts the whole evening. Many ponies welcomed Landstrider to Ponyville, teasing him friendly for not knowing that Pegasi lived on clouds. He gave them nearly no attention. Despite the horrible memories Derpy made him remember, a part of him wished that Derpy would be from Scardiva. There was so long time since he talked to a fellow Scardivarian, even if she couldn't speak Scardivariska. It was the feeling of unity... Like when you are the only pony in a village full of apes and suddenly you meet another pony. He really hoped to see Derpy again. As well as Fluttershy... Eventually, one after another, the partying ponies left the barn to get some well deserved sleep. Soon, there was only Landstrider, Applejack, Derpy and Pinkie Pie left. “Should we…” Pinkie Pie yawned loudly. “…play some more games?” The pink party animal approached slowly the dart board, but ended up leaning at the wall. “Pinkie, I think it’s time we’ll head back home,” the orange pony said. “We’ll look like zombie ponies right now.” Pinkie took a long look at Applejack. “Hihihi, you're right Applejack!” she then concluded. “We do look like… Like zomb...” She passed out before she could finish the sentence. AJ made a muffled laugh. “That’s Pinkie alright!” she said merrily. Derpy sat to herself in a distant corner of the barn. She did what everyone always told her to do: nothing. It was a depressive sight. Derpy’s mind however, was far from doing nothing, but it wasn’t pretty thoughts going around in it. “Derpy, do ya need somepony to follow you home?” The apple farmer gave an encouraging pat with her snout. “No… I’m fine…” She got off her chair and slowly began the long walk home. Tomorrow, she would ask her parents about her past but right now, she needed some rest… Applejack gave Landstrider a tired look. “I should probably take Pinkie home.” The mare pulled the sleeping cupcake baker up on her back. “Try gettin’ some sleep Landstrider, it will be a lon’ day tomorrow…” Landstrider nodded as he saw the orange pony carrying the knocked out friend out from the barn. After they were gone, he unfurled a sleeping bag from his equipment. If it had been up to him, he would have slept for hours ago. He gave a quick look towards the entrance. “You can come in now Foxie,” Landstrider said loudly. As he predicted, the red fox walked in and curled up besides the grey traveler. “I have already checked the place for escape routes. If something happens, we will escape through that window and...” Foxie's loud snoring told him that his words had fallen on deaf ears. He couldn't help but smiling. “It has been a long day Foxie… A long day…” He gave the sleeping fox some few strokes. Forget what I said about entering Ponyville was among the top five most eventful things that had ever happened to me: Meeting Derpy tops the list! He made muffled laugh under his sleeping bag. At least I didn't meet a time-travelling pony... He said to himself, before he finally fell asleep. That night, he dreamed about bouncing, pink, baby Dragons with eyes pointing in different directions... It was full moon, and a lonely owl hoo-ed in the dark. The group of six ponies had been walking for non-stop in weeks now, and Faceless had been whining all day about how weary her hoofs were. It had ended with Shadowblade commanding her to be quiet for the rest of the day. Walking wasn't a trouble for Deathoak. It was the boredom that was the big problem. Even if Lightningbolt seemed to make the time somehow pass by, there were still long moments were absolutely nothing happened. Luckily, his creative mind had found a way to keep him stimulated. He held up the captured squirrel hard with his fore hoofs as he concentrated deeply. The squirrel squeaked frightened and tried to break free from the strong grip, but it had no chance. The spell he was trying to use was a new invention of his, and it was much more complex than his earlier spells had been. Thankfully, the squirrel here was a perfect test subject. Eventually, it was done! The squirrel had been surrounded by a black, mystical barrier that glowed brightly in the dark. The barrier was not a barrier for protection, but a barrier for trapping. He grinned. …and now to the interesting part! With a quick motion, he broke the squirrel’s neck. The sound of it snap reminded him about the noise you make when you accidently steps on a branch. Now, in theory, the squirrels’ soul should now be trapped inside the magic barrier. If it worked, it would mean that Deathoak could kill ponies with “normal” spells, rather than that energy-demanding mind-spell he had been using earlier, and still be able to harvest the energy from their souls! Think about this for an example: he kills a lot of enemies, but their souls will be trapped inside this realm thanks to the barrier. Then, after the battle, he could penetrate each defenseless soul in his own pace. It would be much more energy efficient. Excited, he checked the barrier with his mind. It was empty. Groaning angrily, he threw the dead squirrel into the camp fire. It was not until then he realized that the other five ponies where observing him curiously. “What?” he asked annoyed. Shadowblade stopped puffing on his pipe. “What are you trying to accomplish?” he asked. Dearhoak winced. He really didn’t want to tell Shadowblade that he could gain strength from killing. It would sure make him fail the loyalty test if they found out he could make a profit on their deaths... “Oh, it’s nothing, really…” Shadowblade looked deep into his eyes. “Deathoak, when I ask you a question, you better answer it!” Deathoak swallowed, remembering the scar he had gotten the first night since they began their journey. “Fine, I’m trying to trap the squirrel’s soul,” he admitted. Shadowblade raised an eyebrow. “Why?” Deathoak quickly thought for a reasonable explanation other than the truth. “Think of the possibilities you have if you could turn yourself to a soul. You could fly around unnoticed, check into other ponies’ dreams, read their minds…” He crossed his hoofs that Shadowblade would buy it. Hope this cloak really covers up my face as much as theirs do... “Why would it matter if you end up like that?” Shadowblade pointed at the burned squirrel body in the fire. “Well, of course the body is vulnerable when it has no soul, but…” “No no no, that was not what I meant.” Shadowblade interrupted him. “It looked like you needed to kill the squirrel in order for the soul to leave the body. There is no use to turning yourself into a soul if there is no body to return too.” “Well, um, that is why I try to trap the soul, so I could try to revive it.” The black unicorn made a silent curse under his hood. Who was so stupid to actually believe that? “So… you mean you could revive the squirrel? Back from the dead?” “Umm, well…” Darn it! They seemed to know too that nothing can revive a pony back from the dead. Even if you actually managed to return the soul to its body, it would only die again from the previous cause. Well, better put on that big smile... ”Yes! If I could trap the soul before it disappears, I might be able to return it to its body again!” He smiled nervously. There was some seconds of silence. Slowly, Deathoak took out a mouse from his bag and began focusing the spell again. Maybe that would convince them... Shadowblade took some more puffs from his pipe. “Try to make the soul want to stay inside the barrier rather than trapping it.” The unicorn totally lost his concentration. “W-what now?” “I said you could try making the soul want to stay inside the barrier, instead of trying to trap it.” That is just stupid, what in Equestria would a soul want to stay in this realm after it dies? “Thanks but I don’t think there really is anything a soul wants after it dies…” “Light.” “What?” “Light, souls attracts to light.” "Uhm, why would a soul wa-" "Just try it." Confused, he focused up the barrier again. This time he created a strong light inside it before killing the mouse. He checked inside the barrier and gasped. Inside it, near the light source, was a tiny blue sphere swimming around in circles. Deathoak watched amazed as the soul made a couple of more turns before quickly it easily broke free from the barrier and disappeared. Deathoak looked shocked at Shadowblade. “H-how did you know that?” Shadowblade took some more puffs from the pipe. “Everypony try getting some sleep, we will reach the forest tomorrow and I want you all to be in ship-shape for it,” he eventually said, ignoring the question completely. Deathoak blinked confused. “But…” “Deathoak and Faceless takes the first guard.” “But…” “Smacher and Lightningbolt will take the second night guard.” “But…” Faceless placed a hoof over Deathoak’s mouth and looked him in the eyes. “There’s no use” her gaze seemed to say. He sighed. How could Shadowblade know that souls attracts to light? There sure was something mysterious about that… Confounded about this, he sat down next to Faceless as the other ponies crawled up in their sleeping bags. Chapter 4 - The temple of SheolxBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Deathoak tried to wave the mosquito away but this one was extra persistent. With a frustrated sigh, he gave up the fight and tried to focus on something else. The sludgy sound from his hoofs stepping into the mud was unpleasant, but anything that would be better than the mind ripping noise from his annoying follower. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep him distracted. This called for extreme measures. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ-frzt! The mosquito suddenly burned up to infinity, and any remains would get caught up by the wind and spread across the forest. What a pitiful death... But still, it didn’t give the unicorn any peace to his mind. The constant attacks from the flying plagues were just one of the many things that annoyed him in this forest. The dirty mud, the dark nights, the constant feeling of being watched… It was like the whole place was made for the soul reason alone to keep ponies away from it. It was not like he had imagined it back in the prison… And still he was here. In one week, they had been walking in what seemed like a cave full of traps and they had already fought off three manticors and two pony-eating plants. And his feeling that they were walking around in circles didn't make things any better. It was night, and Deathoak did wonder how Shadowblade could read that map in the darkness. Their leader had had his snout stuck in that map ever since they got to this place. He hadn't been saying anything to them other than 'we lay camp here' and let's move'. But come to think about it, nopony had said much since they got here. It was like the forest suck out the conversations out of them. Even Lightningbolt, which usually was quite the loud mouth, seemed to saving her energy. Everpony was always on high alert for anything. He hadn't made any progress with his spell either. There was a lot of small animals to catch as test subjects, yes, but it wasn't really... the most peaceful study environment, so to say. Although he had been thinking about what to try once he would be out of here. Since the spirit had easily breached through the barrier, he needed to make the barrier strong by- BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Oh, but you got to be kidding me! Again, he started to charge up his magic to burn the forty-third mosquito for that day when the dark trees suddenly thinned out. “Seems like we are here…” Their leader said and folded up the map he had been given before their journey. The thick trees gave away to revile a large glade in the middle of this Celestia-forsaken forest. The moon lit up a large, stone building in the middle of the clearing that looked to be some kind of ancient temple. It wasn’t a huge castle exactly, but its architecture was still impressive. It was formed like a box, with a pyramid shaped roof o top of it. An expert critic would say that it was horrible out of style, but luckily for the temple, none of the ponies were modern temple designers. A simple “Wow…” slipped out from Lightningbolt’s mouth and the rest of the ponies were speechless. Just the sight of knowing that they had finally were here after all their traveling was enough to take their breath out of them. This was when their mission truly began: The temple of Sheolx. Eventually, Faceless spoke up. “So… What do we do no?” Shadowblade recovered and looked at Faceless. “Now, we take the Stone and get out of here.” The small group walked towards the huge door that seemed to be the entrance into the stone temple. As they approached, As Deathoak approached, he could see that there was a statue on top on the pyramid-shaped roof. It represented a unicorn that was looking sternly at any pony approaching from their direction. The unicorn had its horn lowered like it was ready to charge out from the roof, and its face expression was filled with determination. It gave Deathoak the creeps. Suddenly, Shadowblade signaled them to stop some meters away from the entrance. “Deathoak!” he screamed. The unicorn woke up from his thoughts. “Y-yes sir?” “Come here!” The black stallion walked a bit nervously to the front of the line, the scar on his cheek still fresh in his memory. “What does it say?” Shadowblade pointed at a large rune that Deathoak somehow had missed from the back of the row. There were large, crude symbols engraved on it. He examined them closer. “It is written in ancient Equestrian,” he noted. “It is an ancient language originally used before the rule of Celestia because…” “Skip the history lessons, I asked if you can read it?” Deathoak muttered something but took another look at the rune. “I’m not a professional at this, but it says something like:” ‘Here lies the temple of Sheolx Founded by the sisters Guarded by the circle To seal the creation of the third Until it can be –something- (can’t make out what it says here) If you know how, proceed If you know not, walk away’” He looked back into the crippled face. “And that is pretty much it!” Shadowblade gave the expression that he was thinking. “This ‘circle’ the rune mentioned… Who are they?” “I’m not sure, it can be about anypony! I don’t know how far back this temple stretches. All I can tell is that it was not before the rule of Celestia and Luna, because they both are mentioned in the rune.” “Is there anything else you can decipher from the rune?” He shook his head. “Nothing more than that whatever is in there, Celestia intends to keep it that way.” “So no warnings of traps or anything like that?” The black unicorn looked confused at Shadowblade. “Warnings? Why would it be that?” “Steelaxe told us to look out for traps, and if I was building this temple I would lay a trap somewhere here and lay a warning in front of it. Some kind of puzzle or something that would make the reader aware of the situation and avoid it.” He looked meaning at Deathoak. “Hmm, I guess you have point. Well, to me, the rune seems to be more of a ‘don’t-put-your-nose-in-Celestia’s-business’ warning then an ‘watch-out-for-traps’ warning, but I can move ahead with a barrier spell if you want…” Shadowblade made a pleased nod. “Go ahead…” He nodded and channeled up an average-advanced barrier spell around him. With some careful steps, he passed the rune. Nothing happened. He turned around. “Seems pretty clear to me.” “Keep walking until you reach the door,” He shrugged and kept moving. He watched where he moved his barrier for any signs of trap holes or snares, but it all was just the same mud he had always walked in the past 8 days. A barrier wasn't like clothes that followed Deathoak wherever he walked or something like that. A barrier was more like a pellucid wall that you had to move telepathically if you wanted it to follow you, so Deathoak had to be careful. The difficulty of casting the barrier was, of course, determined by how strong and complex the barrier would be, but it took a big concentration effort to actually move one around. That's why barriers were more used to protect key buildings and positions rather than a combat spell. A unicorn would be making more use of himself if he showered the enemy with magic bolts instead of carrying around a large magic wall. He had past one quarter from the path he needed to walk, and nothing had really hap- BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Oh sweet Celestia please don’t say he had did what he think he just ha- BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Yes, he had indeed done what he thought he had done. The mosquito buzzed around him inside the barrier, trying to breach its way back to freedom. ARGH what he hated those pesky little things! And he couldn’t just cast a spell to kill the it like he had done with most of its kind, because the spell would only bounce around the barrier and deal him equally amount of damage. He had to deal with it some other way… BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ The bug had decided that flying around Deathoak’s face was probably the best thing to do when you were trapped inside a strange force field. Annoyed, the unicorn tried to wave the plague away, not realizing where he moved his barrier… Suddenly, a loud *click* sound made Deathoak stop dead in his tracks. The sound was followed with the noise of cogs and mechanisms spinning and moving from the top of the temple. He took a step back and saw that his shield had collided with a hidden button on the ground. “Oh no…” The statue suddenly began to make creaky sounds, as it moved its hoofs a little stiffly. Then it started to move its head and eventually its torso. It looked down at its body, inspecting everything. When it was done with the examination, his stone eyes fell upon the intruders. “I know this is a little bit late to say but I think Shadowblade was right when he said there would be traps…” Lightningbolt said a bit anxious. “EVERYPONY, BATTLE POSITIONS!” Everypony did as their leader screamed. Quickly, they dropped all their equipment and drew forth their weapons from their respective backs. Deathoak quickly teleported out from the barrier and behind the team as he prepared to send some a blasts at the statue on the roof. But it wasn’t there. “WATCH OUT!” Smacher suddenly screamed, only to find himself jumping aside as the stonepony suddenly landed where Smacher’s head had been two seconds earlier. The living thing quickly recovered from its 10 meters long jump from the roof and charged directly at the opponent it recently had missed. It was remarkable fast for being made out of pure stone, and it was only in the last second that Smacher managed to swing his gigantic spiked-club into the stone thing’s lowered head. The heavy blow sent the it flying over the meadow clearing and it crashed two meters away from its attacker into the mud. It got up on its hoofs almost instantly. The only thing that signed that it actually had been hit at all was the long crack running through its right temple. Smacher gasped. "That hit would have ripped of any statues head!" he said chocked. The thing charged again, this time against Lightningbolt. "What is that thing!?" Lightningbolt shouted out before she avoided being pierced by the horn. It might have been quick, but it was nothing against Lightningbolt. She easily dodged another attack from its horn and saw an opening in the statue's defenses. She landed a quick slash at its hard neck, but it only left a scratch. The thing didn't even winced from the attack as it turned around and made another attempt to spear the red-haired mare. Lightningbolt wasn’t prepared for the thing to actually be completely unaffected from what otherwise would have decapitate a pony, so it was with much effort that she managed to parry the horn with her sword. Deathoak saw an opportunity for a clear shoot, and a black missile suddenly hit the ponyfied gargoyle right in its stomach. The sudden attack made it lose its balance, just enough for Lightningbolt to deal another blow to its neck. The statue didn’t even flinch again. It looked around, confused from being attacked in two different directions at the same time. Its curiosity was greeted with another black bolt, this time hitting its head, making stone chips whirl up all around it. The thing shook of the magic missile like it was a paper plane and charged against the unicorn instead. Deathoak quickly teleported behind it and tried some fireballs instead. He made a mental facepalm when he realized that fire against stone might not have been his brightest idea that evening... Seeing its target suddenly disappear, the living statue stopped in the middle of the charge and began to look at the other ponies around it for another target to attack. The short second was all that Faceless needed. She wasn’t the fighter of the group, but she could handle a knife in situation like this. With a fast movement with her hoof, she pierced the walking monument’s left eye. She smiled with success as she felt her dagger penetrate the stone eye. But the joy was short lived. Her opponent quickly turned around, still with her knife in its eye, and bucked her hard in the chest. The sound from something cracking echoed through the clearing, and Faceless collapsed shocked into the dirty mud. Satisfied of feeling that it had hit, the stone guardian turned around and looked down at Faceless, who was gasping for air. “No!!” Shadowblade began charging maniacally at the rock with his two swords high up in the air. His running style reminded Deathoak of an ape, and he held the two swords with his front hoofs like an ape too. The statue was lowering its head to deal the final blow to the light grey pony crawling around in the smudge, but before it could do anything else, the two steel swords cut swiftly through its horn. The horn fell decapitated to the ground, leaving the stone statue to piercing wildly in the air. Confused from the sudden loss of body part, the statue took some steps back. Shadowblade continued to deal rapid blows with his swords, but each hit only dealt a minor cutting mark at the stone hide. Eventually, the rock-unicorn recovered. It rose up on its back legs and started to sweep its fore hoofs around widely. Silenstword was hit by one and stumbled to not lose his balance. The stone-monster saw its chance and headbutt the stumbling defender. Shadowblade fell cursing to the ground and with a quick roll, he evaded a heavy stomp that splashed up some mud to his face. He jumped back up again, just to be greeted with another headbash to his already mistreated face. He groaned and made a short jump backwards to distance himself from his enemy. Whatever it was it seemed impossible to take down. He suddenly gasped! Faceless! She was defenseless now! The rock seemed to have thought the same thing as it quickly turned around towards the helpless mare on the ground. Shadowblade tried to reach into melee again but he knew he would be too late. The thing rose up on its back hinds and stomped hard. Shadowblade looked away, preparing to hear the screams of the mare when her neck was being crushed by a pair of solid stone hoofs. The scream never came. He opened his eyes again. Faceless was gone, but the stone pony was still there, looking confused at the brown spot of mud where the mare should have been laying. Smacher joined the battle again, and this time, he mashed his weapon right into the ponies back. The thing found itself being sandwiched between the ground and the over-sized mace, and now it was it that was lying on the spot Faceless had been in for some seconds. Smacher continued to smash the stone thing, hitting it back to the ground every time it desperately tried to get up. Shadowblade was pleased with the sight, but where was Faceless? He looked around, and to his relief, he found her standing up with Deathoak and Lightningbolt. -- “Woa!” Lightningbolt looked impressed at Deathoak. Faceless was lying on the ground, still in deep pain from being bucked hard by two large stones. “I knew you could teleport yourself but you can teleport others as well??” “Yes I can!” Deathoak responded frustrated. “Please be quiet now, I must try to heal Faceless bon-“ He completely lost his speech when Faceless suddenly stood up, and started to brush of the mud from her cloak. “I appreciate the offer, but I am completely fine thank you!” she said with her usual elegant voice. Deathoak just stared. “B-but you shouldn’t be fine!” he eventually managed to say. “Even I, who stood all the way over here, heard clearly as your ribs broke!” She giggled. “Hoho, whatever you heard my dare, I can assure you it was only the wind playing you a trick!” Faceless could swear that the black unicorn’s jaw would touch the ground. “B-but…” “Sorry to interrupt, but we have bigger probl-“ Lightningbolt looked over to the statue, just to find that it had turned to Smacher’s personal punching bag. “You know what, never mind!” She started walking towards the now immobilized enemy, curious as usual. “I must say I’m equally interested as Lightningbolt to see what that thing was,” Faceless said and trotted after Lightninbolt with her head high up like somepony from the upper class. T-that is just not normal, Landstrider thought before started to catch up with the rest of the group. Smacher had stopped hitting the statue and was now examinee it closer. It was still in one piece (except for the horn), but its body was now filled with cracks and openings. It was staring aimlessly into nothing, moving less. A silent exhale of relief slipped out from everypony when they had accepted the fact that it was now dead. Faceless pulled her knife away from the statue’s eye. “What exactly was that thing anyway?” she then asked. “I don’t know, but I’m glad that it is dea-“ Lightningbolt swallowed her words when the crippled piece of art suddenly started move again. “Get back!” Smacher screamed and raised his heavy mace again, but before he could land another devasting blow, a large dark-blue light flashed him, making him fumble around aimlessly. Everypony took a step back in confusion from the sudden light and when they got hold of themselves again, the statue was gone. Before anypony had time to comment on this, Shadowblade was suddenly tackled from his left side and flung on the already confused Smacher. The stone pony quickly turned to the next closest pony, which was Lighntinbolt, and charged with its horn-less head lowered threatening. Lightninbolt dodged it. “D-did it just teleport?” Deathoak asked confused as he watched Lightningbolt parry another charge from the stone guardian. Shadowblade swore something again and got up in his hoofs. “Deathoak! How the hay do we take it down, since swords and maces do not work!” The unicorn winced uncomfortable. “W-why would I know? I didn’t create this thing!” “You are the only one of us familiar with magic, so you better start coming up with something!” Another steel-to-stone noise echoed loudly as the fast mare dealt another blow to the unstoppable force. It had the same effect as the last time it was struck with a sword. Deathoak closed his eyes to be able to concentrate better. “It definitely teleported, so it is not some kind of machine… And it isn’t an organic being either, since it wouldn’t be able to use magic without its horn…” “Deathoak! We need to know how to stop it, not what it is!” Shadowblade shouted angry. “G-guys, a little help here?” The living rock had started to shoot out dark-blue missiles out from the hole in the head, and Lightningbolt was losing ground quickly. “Shut up! I’m thinking!” Deathoak groaned but he conjured a temporary barrier between Lightningbolt and the missile caster that gave the quick mare just enough time to close in melee again. “…And because it isn’t organic, it must be supplied with magic energy in some other way… Yes, it would be possible to fill a gemstone with enough energy to make an object moveable, and with the right spell, it could easily be told to guard or kill somepony that tried to close in on the palace! Yes, it all makes sense! And I accidently activated its attacking mechanism when I pushed down that button!” He turned back to Shadowblade. “Shadowblade! I think I know how we can defeat it!” Shadowblade blocked a missile that the statue had accidently missed Lightningbolt with. “Do you care to tell us?” “Listen very carefully: whatever that is, it is probably powered by a gemstone. The gemstone has limited energy charged in it, and that is why it only used it as a last resort! We can either force it to use up all its energy or we can find and destroy the gem. Forcing it to use its energy can be risky: we don’t know how much energy there is powering up this thing. It could also have several backup gems in case the active one runs out, so it could take up to days before it is completely drained. And even if it does runs out of all its energy, it could be told to blow up itself just before it dies. No, I suggest we try to find and destroy the potential gems instead.” “Where are these ‘gemstones’?” He thought about it for a second. “Hmm, I would guess that whoever made that thing placed the gems in normally vital spots, like it was a real pony. Inside its head, or the heart I guess.” “So head or heart?” “Or it could be where magic is originally created in a unicorn, which is the horn, but since we have already cut it out…” “Okay, Smacher, you got that?” Smacher slammed his hoof against his chest and nodded eagerly. Pleased with the answer, Shadowblade turned to Faceless. “You stay here. Your dagger will not be able to reach deep enough for the gems anyway.” The mare made a slight nod. “Jag förstår,” she whispered softly. ”Var bara försiktig, okej?” Shadowblade didn’t answer, but turned to Deathoak instead. “You! Can you with your magic somehow paralyze it or make it unable to move?” “W-well I could try hold it in place, but depending on how much energy it has it would only be a matter of time before it breaks out again…” “Alright, on my mark I want you to do just that! Alright everypony, move out!” -- Lightningbolt panted heavily. It felt like the statues speed and strength grow for every attack she dodged or parried, and her counter attacks became less frequent for every second. The red headed mare had been superior the solid-moving thing early in the battle, but now she felt like passing out from exhaustion. Her sword started to feel heavier than she remembered it being when she first bought it from the smith. She might be at a disadvantage but she wouldn't go down without a fight! Why weren’t the others helping her? She lifted her weapon just in time to prevent a hoof striking her shoulder out of joint. The stone-pony recovered faster than she did this time, and she looked up just in time to see how the thing's head came smashing down into her upper torso. With a loud moan, she fell to the sticky mud and dropped the sword in pure confusion. But she knew she hadn't time to look for it now. She made a quick roll, dodging a stomp that would have pulverized her skull and looked up. The statue stood mighty before her, looking twice as large than it really was from her grounded point of view. Its vandalized face was determined, focused. It would kill her without a second thought, without a blink (could it blink even if it tried?). She knew she couldn't roll around forever. It would eventually get her, and that would be the end for Blaze Lightningbolt. Despite it all, she couldn't help herself from laughing. She had heard so much about 'the-second-before-you-die' moments that she almost felt disappointed that her life wasn't flashing by in front of her. The statue lifts its hooves up high, preparing to do the final stomp. She closed her eyes. “DEATHOAK! NOW!” The voice came from Shadowblade, and suddenly, a black aura surrounded the rock pony. Lightningbolt looked up confused, just in time to see Shadowblade leap out from nowhere and digging his steel swords deep inside the stone pony’s upper body. The accuracy was frightening. If it had been a normal pony, it would now have found its heart had just been pierced. There was a second were nothing happened. The statue was completely still. “I-is it dead?” Shadowblade asked. “No, it is still struggling to break free from my spell! The gem must be inside his head then!” Shadowblade nodded and tried to pull out his swords. Surprised, he almost fell of the pony's back when the swords didn't move an inch from its position. They were stuck. “Get off from that thing! I can’t hold it much longer!” “Give me a second!” Shadowblade screamed as he made another desperate pull but giving the same result as before. “Argh, he will be free in any second now…” With those words, the black aura was replaced with a dark blue one and the statue pony began to kick widely in the air to get the intruder off its back. The fight turned into a rodeo festival, where Shadowblade desperate tried to hang on the mad architecture, as it swept up mud everywhere in its try to kick him off. Eventually, the thing succeeded, sending him flying several meters away, and the sword still in its back. Shadowblade glared horrified as the pony approached him with his own weapons attached to its back. “Smacher!” he screamed commanding. Not a moment too late, the strong pony swung his mace in a horizontal motion and hit the thing right on the spot he had hit it the first time. The hit made the earlier crack break open, and it forced the statue to take some steps back. If Deathoak had found it creepy before, it was nothing compared to now. Out from the large gap on the statue's face was a dark blue light shining brightly, and its other half of the face had so many cracks that it surely win second place in a “most wrinkles” competition. This, in addition to the two swords sticking out from its back, made the thing look like it just recently had jumped straight out from some horrifying alien fiction. “That’s it! That’s the gem!” Deathoak shout, pointing at the glowing part of the statue. Before anypony had time to answer, the thing started to shot out sparks from its entire body, sending out force waves that send the four ponies around him flying away from it. The dark aura intensified and formed a bubble around it, which gradually got bigger and bigger. Eventually, the sphere had grown three meters in diameter, and was still expanding. Everything the blob touched was consumed; mud, ground, stones, grass, everything. You could still see the statue standing inside the dark blue energy, but the flying materia clouded the vision. “W-what does it do Deathoak?” Shadowblade asked, terrified at the sight. It wasn't many things he hadn't seen before, and that was one of them. “I-I have no idea, but whatever it is I don’t wanna find out!” Shadowblade grabbed his cloak tighter to his chest to endure the winds coming from the thing. “Take it down then! Shot it with that magic thing you had earlier, or I don’t care! Just take it down!” Deathoak charged up some shoots but his black magic got easily washed away by the blue aura blub. His attacks attacks were equally useful as water hitting a fortress wall. “I-I can’t reach it!” he whimpered as he desperate tried another spell that was equally inefficient. Faceless and Lightningbolt had started to shower the blue orb with daggers, but they were blown away as they hit the magic. This was not good. Whatever it was doing, it was going to be huge. Deathoak saw no choice but to try to penetrate its soul. If it had one. He teleported to a safe distant and started to expand his mind. He went pass his fellow comrades and went inside magic ball surrounding the thing. As he unfortunately had expected, he found nothing. It had no soul. Well, that left him back with one option, and it would going to be dangerous... He withdraws back to his body and started immediately to charge up the spell. He was putting all his energy in to this attack, and it would probably end his life in the progress. What he was trying to do was what he called a 'deathbeam'. Of course was it a spell he had invented himself, but that didn't make it original. He was certain that there were more 'refined' forms of the spell somewhere inside the Canterlot archives, but this was the best thing he could figure out on his own hoof. It was simply a beam of pure energy, and sending out such a concentrated beam of energy was dangerous, not only to the caster himself, but also to all ponies around. That is why he had called it 'deathbeam'. Ironically that one of his own spell would end up to be the thing that killed him... Suddenly, the large blue aura around the statue disappeared. Surprised, Deathoak stopped power up for the 'deathbeam', and watched in shock as the statue collapsed in the middle of the scorched ground around it. The intense magic that had until recently surrounding the thing had disappeared under just a second. It was like somepony had turned off a switch. It was quite absurd. The swords still there Shadowblade had left them, and no pony really knew what to do or what to expect from this scene. Was it dead? Or was it a part of its spell? Silent stepped out from a shadow and approached the laying monster on the ground. No pony said anything, as he crouched down and grabbed something from inside the things head. It looked like a broken crystal. “H-he got the gemstone! He actually took the thing down!” Deathoak shouted out astonished. “H-how is that possible? And where have that guy been all the time?” Shadowblade could give him at least one answer. “That is Silent’s why of fighting. He hides and waits until he sees the right time to strike, and when he does strike, it is a guarantee kill.” Deathoak raised an eyebrow at Shadowblade. “So you mean that while the rest of us are getting our flanks kicked, he sits in the background and relaxes??” Deathoak received an angry glaze for that statement. “Let me remind you Deathoak that he is the one standing victoriously over the statue and not you! So before you spit out your insults you should try to be more efficient yourself!" Shadowblade looked back at Silent. "We all have our roles in this group, and his role is not to fight in the frontline! Now, let’s go and see what really happened…” He started walking towards the fallen opponent, followed by Faceless and Smacher. Lightningbolt had found her sword again and was giving Deathoak a friendly slam on his back. “Do not make Silent your enemy,” she whispered to him. “He is somepony you want on your side, if you know what I mean…” Deathoak just muttered something irritated in return and caught up with the rest of the group. Eventually, all members of the group were looking down at the broken statue. Its head was now empty, and the swords hadn’t moved an inch from the completely cracked back. It looked more like somepony had glued a lot of stones together more than an actually statue. It lied horribly still, and after having been fooled once by the lifeless monument, they were on high alert to not be that twice. Eventually, after having silently observed the thing for minutes, Shadowblade finally concluded what everypony had started to figure out. "It is dead alright..." he said damped. Almost robotic, everypony turned their head towards Silent. Their eyes begged him for an answer to this mystery. Without a word or emotion, Silent simply held forth the thing he had removed from the head to answer their hungry gazes. It was indeed a gemstone, and it was not the cheap stuff either. It was a crystal, the most valuable gemstone in Equestria and famous for its capability of storing large amount of energy at once. A rare item like this could almost only be found deep inside the Zebrarian deserts. Now, the pink jewel was utterly pierced by a weird looking piece of steel, making the precious stone as valuable as a rotten apple. The weapon that had pierced it, however, was the next thing that caught the ponies’ attention. It was not a knife or anything like a normal weapon ponies would use. It looked like a four-edged-star, were the edges were curved as swords and one of the edges were deep inside the middle of the gemstone. The other ponies in the group had no idea what it was, but Deathoak recognize the weapon immediately. “It's... It’s really a…” Silent removed the piece from the crystal and put it back in a hidden pocket in his cloak. He dropped the crystal itself, making it fall next to the fallen enemies scattered head. “How did you get your hoofs on a magical weapon like that? Only goblins are able to make those things, and they live far beyond the jungles!!” Silent ignored the question and started making his path towards the entrance. Deathoak just glared shocked after him. “Is there anything special about those weird looking stars Silent is carrying? To me, it looks like a rather unpractical way to shape a dagger in,” Lightningbolt’s curious voice asked. “It isn’t a dagger, it is a 'shuriken'. They are made from a special piece of steel called ‘goblin steel’, simply because only goblins can mine it. The steel is immune to all kinds of magic, making it cut through any barrier like it was thin air. That's why he managed to hit the thing when our daggers and spells just bounced away!” Shadowblade gave Deathoak an interesting look. “We get some goblin traders from time to time up in Scardiva,” he explained. “They sell all sorts of weaponry, maybe I should pay one a visit once we get back home…” “I am just glad that that dreadful thing finally is dead…” Faceless flipped he head over, making the non-broken side visible. "But I am not so pleased with our clothes being so dirty in the progress. Especially since I know who will be forced to wash the stains away from them afterwards..." Lightningbolt completely ignored her whinning and picked up the crystal. "Heh, it must be a hay of a throw! Imagine hitting that little gap with a weird-shaped knife from that distance!" Lightningbolt pointed at the shadows Silent had emerged from earlier. “Do not forget that we still have a mission. Everypony, get your stuffs and Smacher, pull back my swords. Then let’s move on to the door.” The other agreed with Shadowblade. It would be a relief once they left that dead stone monster behind them... The swords were no match for Smacher, and Shadowblade took the lead as the ponies walked to the entrance. But on their way there, Deathoak stopped. “Go without me, I have a business to take care of.” He turned around towards the rune he had read earlier. As he thought, the black barrier he had created when he had accidently pushed down the button was still where he had left it. And just as before, there was a familiar tiny creature buzzing around in it, trying still to make an escape… Suddenly, everypony jumped back startled from a loud sound of a big explosion right behind them. Several birds flew panicked away from the nearby tree, and the bushes around them rustled as scared mammals tried to make a run from the sound. They turned around alarmed, only to find Deathoak jumping joyfully skipping back to the group. “Oh, don’t mind the explosion,” he said gaily. “I just said thanks to a little friend of mine for making me release that statue earlier…” -- “Deathoak!” “Yeye, I’m coming.” The entrance was a normal sized stone door, with no pull or any other decoration. Next to it was that weird rune-script they had seen earlier. Deathoak translated. “A princess is powerful enough to enter the temple.” He went silent. The rest of the party waited impatiently for him to continue. Eventually, he turned back again. “That’s it!” Shadowblade looked skeptical at Deathoak. “Sure there is not more to it?” “Nope!” “Nothing about how we should get inside the temple or anything?” “Not more than a princess seems to be able to get through somehow…” There was a short second of silence. “Lightningbolt, take a look around the temple for other clues or entrances.” “Yes sir!” the mare said eagerly and after four brief seconds, she was back. “There is only one door, and it is this one. The rest is just a long, boring wall.” “Well, that wasn’t very helpful…” Faceless said. Another second of silence. “What do you think, Deathoak? You are the one reading the script,” Shadowblade eventually said. The unicorn scratched his horn uncertain. “Well, it is pretty unclear to me… The script seems more like a statement than guidance…” “I saw you teleport back in the fight,” Lightningbolt pointed out. “Can you not just teleport yourself inside?” Deathoak shock his head. “No, Teleporting to distances you cannot see is extremely dangerous. If there is a wall or obstacle where I’m teleporting, the body parts that should have been where the obstacle is will not be teleported. For an example, if I teleport to a place that have a stone covering where my head should be, my body will be teleported but my head will be separated and left behind.” Shadowblade groaned. “When intelligence fails, let the muscle talk. Smacher!” “Yes?” “Smash the door.” “I was just waiting for you to say that!” Smacher turned his back hoofs towards the door and bucked it heavily. Dust flew everywhere as the door collapsed from the blow, revealing a dark passage inside the temple. “Nice kick Smacher!” Lightningbolt gave the large pony a quick slap on the back. He gave her a hidden smile before returning back to the end of the line. Deathoak gasped. “Well, that was unexpectedly easy…” he said flabbergasted, but then the pieces fell to their right places. “But of course! The script was not a statement, it was a challenge! The door was strong enough to withstand anything from a normal pony, but Smacher isn’t exactly a normal pony is he?” Shadowblade shrugged his shoulders. “As long as we are inside, I do not care,” he said sarcastically and took a long look inside the temple. “We are going to need light if we are going to continue from here. Faceless, fetch me a torch from one of those trees-“ “Don’t worry, I got this!” The black unicorn interrupted and began light up the night with his horn. Shadowblade looked surprised at the glowing horn. “Seems like that magic of yours have more usage then I thought…” he then said astonished. Deathoak grinned. “Being a unicorn has its advantages,” he said, and took the lead inside. The inside of the temple was narrow, and the walls were painted in a dark blue color on one of the side and light yellow on the other. Deathoak easily figured out they represented dawn and night, with other words Celestia and Luna. He spit at the yellow side in disgrace. The roof was colored green, and it was just high enough for Smacher to walk through without having to crouch. It was dark and dusty, and lonely spiders crawled between their hooves from time to time, searching for a good place to fetch their nets. Other than the large echoing from their steps, everything was silent. Deathoak was for obvious reasons leading the group. It was in moments like these he wished he hadn’t had black as his natural energy. Now he was forced to manipulate the color of his light so it could actually shine in the darkness, instead of joining it. Right after him was Shadowblade, followed by Faceless, Lightningbolt, Smacher and Silent. The tension in the air was unmistakable. If they recently had been attacked by a ponyfied gargoyle, who knows what would be the next? Eventually, the hall walls widened. Deathoak was forced to increase the strength of the illumination spell in order to light up the room they were in. The brighter light revealed a medium-sized room, leading to another corridor. The corridor walls were filled with strange-looking holes and in front of it was a stone with those weird letters on it. Deathoak got right on the job. “The temple of Sheolx contains three tasks To tell friend and foe apart The first one lies before you If you got wings, then you may pass Otherwise turn back where you came from” He looked back to the group of earth ponies that he was accompanied with. “Well, then we are screwed…” he said disappointed. “Light up the next corridor,” Shadowblade ordered him. He did, and the light showed that the corridor stretched some few meters straight forward before it turned right, and all the walls was still covered with those mysterious holes. “It is obvious that those holes shot out daggers or something like it when you step on them,” Shadowblade said, almost disappointed that it wasn't anything harder. “Look now.” He approached the corridor and without getting his body in line-of-sight of those holes, he touched one of the lime stones that were covering the corridor in front of them. As he had predicted, the limestone was pushed down, and several dark blue missiles came charging out from the holes just some feet away from the grey assassinator. He grinned. “To obvious,” he said again. “Lightningbolt, you think you can run through all that?” The red haired mare winched uncomfortable. She had had too much encounters with magic for one day, in her opinion, and she was still a little bit weary from the last fight. “Well, yes I suppose I can…” she said avoiding. “Good, then jump right to it-“ “Wait, wait, wait!” Deathoak stepped in front of Lightningbolt before she could charge right in to the mass of arcane missiles. “Just after she reaches that corner, she would be running in complete dark! Remember that I’m the only light source here!” Shadowblade nodded understanding. “Hmm, you are right… What do you propose?” “I got the solution, just give me a second.” Suddenly, Lightningbolt was surrounded with the black aura from Deathoak’s magic. Unease by magic in general, she took some steps back worried. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing dangerous,” Deathoak assured, as he filled the mare’s skin with his magic. Slowly, the grey skin started to glow in a faint, white light. At first, it was almost unnoticed able, but the more Deathoak charged her, the brighter she glowed. Eventually, the grey mare alone out-lighted Deathoak’s own horn. “Puh,” the unicorn panted tired when he find himself done. The mare examined her body excited. Her tail, torso, back hinds… Everything was glowing! She felt like she had turned into a mini-sun, and it felt awesome! “Woa! Cooool, I am shinning!” “The spell only lasts for a couple of minutes, so you better start moving before it disappears,” he puffed out exhausted. She took a longer look at her now glowing hoof and then looked back agitated at him. “This is so cool! Thanks Deathoak!” “Just run!” She rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said and spurted out into the mysterious trap. Just after the first steps she remembered why she had hesitated earlier. The missiles flew scarily close to her body, as she stepped on each new stone plate. She lost her concentration for a brief second, almost making her almost forgot that the corridor turned right just after some meters. In the last second, she managed to make the turn and the group lost sight of her as she continued to run through the hall way. The magic danger whistled behind her, and some were so close that she could feel the wind from them pass by her flank. She looked up to calculate how long she would have to run, but she could only see as far as her glowing skin allowed her. Beyond that were only darkness. This corridor could be endless. But after some seconds of running, she started to get used to it. After all, running was her special talent! The wind in her mane, the danger flying behind her, the challenge to reach the end before the light goes out… This was life! Not to mentioning her body was shinning! She couldn’t help enjoying it! Living dangerous was her middle name after all! Blaze ‘Dangerous’ Lightningbolt! Yea, it sounded pretty awesome… Eventually, the hallway turned right again. She easily switched the running direction with a swagger snort. Is that all you got? She thought to the ceiling, like it was representing the temple. I could do this while I’m asleep! She turned her look back to the path and gasped. She didn’t though there would be another right turn that short after the second! She tried to force her body to turn right, but she was unprepared. She slipped, but immediately managed regain her balance and continued to run down the hall. But the brief second of lost momentum was all the missiles needed. One flew right over her flank, grazing through her cloak. She bit her lip hard as she could feel the projectile burn her skin as it passed by. She had been lucky it hadn’t flied any lower. She had built up her speed again, but she still felt like the missiles was flying pass her flank all the time. That burning heat from that last one seemed to be somehow spreading across her flank. She made a quick glance back to see what was going on with her butt when she suddenly let out a horrifying beep. Her cloak had caught fire, and was spreading down to her tail. She looked like she was farting out fire. She screamed. The phrase ‘running like your tale is on fire’ suddenly seemed very suiting, as Lightningbolt galloped faster than she ever had done before. The endless hallway suddenly seemed more frustrating than a challenge as the smoke behind her began darkening her glowing skin. She made a short pray to the ancestors that the trap should soon end, and that she would survive it. Not for that she was very religious but she wanted to die honorably in a battle, and not in some lousy trap designed by some weirdo unicorns. She cursed. She saw another turn approaching, this time to the left. Who knew how many more turns she would be forced to do? She started to feel the flames eat her skin, as her whole tail now had been burned off. If she wasn’t trying to put out the fire soon, she would burn to death. She made the left turn, and suddenly, the walls ended. Just like that, the long, narrow corridor she had recently ran through, was now gone. Was the trap really over? She made another loud scream when the fire finally reached her flesh and started tormenting her. That was it: she would rather die from magic penetrating her skull than slowly burning to death. She throws herself at the ground and started to roll around like she had been thought to do when she was a little filly. Luckily, the fire hadn’t grown too large, and she eventually managed to suffocate the flames before it spread to her legs. With an immense pain in her flank, she slowly rose up and realized to her surprise that her brain hadn't been penetrated by a magic missile. In fact, other than her backside, she was unscratched. “Lightningbolt! Oh please Nightmare Moon make her answer!” She recognized the echoing voice belonging to non-other than Deathoak. “I am fine! My tail caught on fire but I managed to put it out!” she screamed back to Deathoak. “Oh thank Nightmare Moon you are alr-” “Lightningbolt, where are you now?” The muffled voice was not hard to decipher as her captain. “I do not know exactly…” She started to look around. She seemed to be in some kind of small room, and on the other side of it was a door. In front of the door were four levers and another of those stones with script on it. “It seems like I am in some kind of room, and there is this weird rune script here again…” She heard that the group mumbled amongst each other about what to do next. When they didn’t answer her immediately, she decided to explore the room some more. The room was about the size of the earlier room before the corridor trap and the walls was painted in equally manners as the entrance hall had been- wait a second, what was that? She walked closer to the thing sticking out of the wall. Her light revealed it to be another lever, and another script was next to it. She could hear the other ponies mumbling loud from here, like they were standing just behind that wall… -- “So what do you suppose we do know, Shadowblade?” Faceless looked impatiently at the sitting stallion. “We can’t trick this trap without wings, and Lightningbolt have no clue what to do next…” “Shut up, I am thinking!” Faceless immediately cut it. Smacher cleared his throat. “I could always smash down the walls…” “And bring the whole place down? Are you stupid? We need to come up with something else…” “There is one way I could try… But it’s a risky one…” All attention turned to the black unicorn that had been quiet until then. “I can localize where Lightningbolt is with a life-finding spell and then teleport us to her position. But as I said earlier, any tiny mistake with teleportation to places you cannot see is like rolling a dice…” Nopony said anything as they waited for a response from their leader. “You did a barrier earlier Deathoak,” he eventually said. “Do you think you could make another one for all of us so we could go through that mine field without getting hit by the missiles?” “I could always try, but don’t think it’s going to work. As you said earlier: think from the builders’ perspective. If I would have made this trap with the intention to only let Pegasi go through it, I would have made something against magic users.” “So teleportation is the only alternative then?” “I’m afraid it is…” Shadowblade slowly nodded. “Okay, do it.” The unicorn closed his eyes and started to focus up the same spell he had used during the test of ability. He felt the surrounding ponies first, along with some insects hiding in the cracks of the old architecture. He widened his search, and to his surprise, he didn’t have to look for long. He walked towards the right wall, the one with white coloring and touched the rough surface with his hoof. “She should be right behind this…” As he spoke, the wall suddenly sank to the ground, making him jump back startled. On the other side of the new opening stood a familiar glowing pony, and waved happily to the group. “Hi guys!” Lightningbolt’s grin widened when she saw their surprised faces. “Um, what did you do Deathoak?” Shadowblade asked confused. “I didn’t do anything, I have no idea what just happen…” “Oh, I saw this lever and I heard that you guys were on the other side of this wall so I thought it was some kind of secret passage, and I was right!” … “Seems like our problems are solved then…” Faceless eventually concluded but then she let out a violently scream! "W-what is it Faceless?" Lightningbolt asked as she saw that the mare's eyes were fixed on her. "Y-your c-cloak..." Faceless could barely finish the sentence. "Yea, I told you I accidently got on fire. But it is no problem right? You can always make me a new one right?" She took of her cloak and throw it over to Faceless. She caught it like she was catching her dead daughter. "I-I have put so much effort in to this one..." she eventually said, almost like she was crying. "But you can fix it right?" Lightningbolt asked again, this time emphasizing 'right'. "We don't have time for this, everypony get to the next room," Shadowblade said impatient. Lightningbolt waved them in, and everypony followed her into the new room except Faceless. She still held the piece of clothing in her hoofs. "There is no use... Once a garment is burned, it will never get back its full graze..." Like she was letting go from the past, she dramatically throw the cloak away from her and followed the others inside the room. Just at that moment everypony was inside, everything went suddenly dark. “Aww,” Lightningbolt said disappointed as she noted that her skin wasn't glowing anymore. Deathoak lit up the room the normal way and everypony looked around curiously. “It looks like a mind game,” Smacher said after seeing the four levers. “Let us not waste more time. Deathoak, get right to it.” The golden eyed pointed at the stone with the script on it. Deathoak cleared his throat. “The next task lies before you But this time to test your knowledge Read the question carefully and chose wisely The right answer leads you to the next task The wrong leads you to your doom If you do not know what to do The lever on the wall will let you home” Deathoak looked up. “It must be that one you pulled,” he said and pointed at the down turned lever Lightningbolt had pushed. “We are not stupid Deathoak, continue read,” Shadowblade said sarcastically. With a sigh, he continued. “The question follow as this: A grip I got but still I use magic A long life I have, but still I got perished But not for my sins, but for my deeds What am I?” Lightningbolt was the first one to respond. “What the hay is that for a question?” she asked annoyed. “That is not even a proper question!” Deathoak walked over to the four levers. “Let’s check the alternatives before we assume anything,” he said while observing the levers more closely. Each lever had a symbol carved above them, each representing different species. He deciphered them as he passed by. “Alicon… Dwarf… Elf… And Human.” “What the hay? The answers are even weirder than the question.” Lightning looked frustrated at the group. “Are not humans from those bed time stories when you were a filly? And what the hay is a ‘dwarf’ and an ‘elf’? It makes no sense!” “Dwarves and elves are both races that are now extinct. As for the humans, they are also extinct but they lived on much further than the two others,” Shadowblade explained annoyed to the young mare. “But why is…” “If anypony actually has something descent to say, then say it, otherwise shut up! Or even better: translate to Smacher what we all are saying instead of whining Lightningbolt. Then you can actually be to some use...” “Well, it cannot be the Alicorn, because they have no grip…” Faceless said. “I agree," Shadowblade said, a little bit calmer than before. "That leaves us to the Human, Elf and the Dwarf… Humans and Elves were known to have sorceress but not the dwarves, so I think we should count them out as well…” “I wouldn’t be so sure about,” Deathoak interrupted. “It is true that Dwarves couldn’t cast magic but they were definitely using magic. The way they enchanted their buildings and armors is still a mystery for today’s unicorns.” Shadowblade looked at Deathoak. “…so we should not exclude dwarves?” “The script clearly says ‘I still use magic’, not ‘I still cast magic’, so no, we should not exclude Dwarves from the right conclusion.” Shadowblade thought it through before nodding in agreement. “Fine, let’s move on to the next line: ‘A long life I have, but still I got perished’. Well, all three are ‘perished’ now but only elves and dwarves were known for their long lives…” “Yes, elves were immortal just like alicorns, and dwarves have around 10 times as long lives as ponies have. Humans on the other hoof only lived to their eighties.” “So it is up between the elves and the dwarves then?” “That seems like a logical assumption…” Faceless said. “Okay. ‘But not for my sins, but for my deeds’… I assume they are talking about how they got extinct?” Deathoak nodded. “Yes, I would guess that too.” “So… Elves got exterminated in a war right?” “Yes, a war against the apes. When they knew they would lose, they made a powerful curse that made the apes unable to march into their lands. But in return, they had to sacrifice themselves.” “And how did the dwarves die out?” The unicorn searched through his memories for any information regarding the case but he couldn’t find anything. “I-I’m not sure…” “They died in a volcano eruption,” Faceless suddenly said. “They dug to close to a volcano and accidently broke up a lava bunker that flooded them away. Pitiful death, if you ask me!” A volcano eruption? Deathoak couldn’t admit he had heard about it before… “Well, in that case, the answer is the weird dwarves!” Lightningbolt quickly dashed over to the four levers. “I want to pull the lever! Which one is it?” It took a breath before Deathoak had realized that the burned mare had asked him a question. “Um- it is that one.” He pointed at the second lever from the right. “This one?” She placed her hoofs eagerly around its handle. “Yes, that one.” She took a deep breath. “Okay then, here we g-“ “WAIT!” Lightningbolt stumbled and fell face first to the ground, without switching the lever. “Something is not right here…” Shadowblade said and lightened up his pipe. “What do you mean? I thought we had figured it out?” Lightningbolt said disappointed. He ignored her. “Deathoak, when do you think this temple was built?” Confused, Deathoak considered the information he had been given throughout the evening to form a conclusion. “Hmm, not before year 0 B.P (before princesses) I would guess based on what the scripts have said so far but not after 1000 A.P (after princesses) because of the fact that the language the script is written in is basically eradicated during the start of the first millennium.” Shadowblade looked annoyed at the Equetrian. “Deathoak, not in Equestria’s stupid timeline. How many years since the foundation of Scardiva?” he then said frustrated. The unicorn’s eyes began to dangle back and forth. “Um…” “The poor thing is talking about year 3568 to year 4568 dear, don’t push him to say something he understandingly have no idea the answer to.” Faceless had came to Deathoak’s rescue, but how could she know the exact date? It seems like Faceless is more educated than he thought a Scardivarian pony could be… “Right, thank you Faceless, and when was the dwarves exterminated?” “Um, if I remember it right, it was…” The mare suddenly gasped. “…during year 3897…” Deathoak winched astounded. “So that means…” “…That the dwarves might not have been ‘perished’ during the time this temple was build, which in turn makes the elves the correct answer, yes.” Everypony suddenly jumped backwards when the only pony that hadn't said anything yet in the group (except Silent) spoke up. “But what about the last line? If we assume this was written after the dwarves extinct, isn’t war a more ‘sinful’ deed than an accident?” Smacher asked puzzled. “Yes, you are right Smacher, we must look at all the alternatives,” their chief said with a smile. “But Deathoak, tell us why the war started.” Deathoak looked confused. “Because the apes tried to expand their territory…” “And why did the elves decided to sacrifice themselves?” Deathoak gasped. He had a feeling were this was going. “They did it to protect the forest's animals!” “Yes, not so sinful now was it? And Faceless, why did the dwarves dig so close to a volcano? As experts in mining, would they not know it would be too dangerous to go so deep into a volcano, hmm?” “They- they did it because they had detected some kind of large diamond there!” “Greed… How sinful is not that?” “So you mean that elves are the answer?” Shadowblade nodded. “Are you absolutely sure about this? Just a second ago, we were about to pull for dwarves…” The scarred pony gave Deathoak a stern look. “YOU were about to pull for the dwarves! I never said anything even close that dwarves were the right answer! My decision is final! Now, pull the lever for the lever that represents the elves.” “Oh, oh!” Lightningbolt said excited and was suddenly back on the spot. “Which one is it? Which one is it?” Deathoak sighed and pointed to the second lever from the left. “But before you pull…" Deathoak turned back to Shadowblade. "I’m not trying to be rude or anything Shadowblade, but with all due respect I hope you have thought about this twice.” “Deathoak, I always double think every decision I do. Lightningbolt, pull the switch.” “Will do boss!” she said exhilarated and before Deathoak could argue any further, the lever was already turned to the other side. Suddenly, the door in the room sank down to the ground, revealing a new room behind it. “Seems like Shadowblade was right after all!” Lightningbolt said and rushed into the next room. The rest of the ponies followed her, except for Deathoak. He was still stunned from the thought of how close they had been from pulling the wrong switch. His black face turned absurdly white. “Never questioning my decisions again,” Shadowblade whispered, as he passed him into the next room. -- When their walking candle eventually light up the room, everypony gasped in chorus. Just some steps away from them were a pillar sticking out from the ground, and on top laid a very desirable stone… “It-it is it, isn’t it?” Faceless stuttered out in her astonishment. “Last pony there is a retarded ape!” Lightningbolt suddenly shouted out and charged at the stone lectern. Shadowblade tried to catch the mare’s tail only to remember that it had been burned off. “Lightningbolt wait!” he screamed but it was already too late. Suddenly, Lightningbolt abruptly stopped like she had ran into a wall and she was flung back to the entrance were she had came from. She made a double spin in the air and fell flat on her stomach. “Ouf…” she cried out. She hadn’t much time to recover before Sahdowblade violently grabbed her by her throat. “Are you crazy? You could have get us all killed! There is still one task to complete, don’t you remember?” he said furiously. The mare didn’t answer. He dropped her and looked around for the next stone with script on it. As he had predicted, the rune stood some meters in front of their target. “Deathoak, what does it say?” With a quick teleport, Deathoak was in front of the tablet and began the usual procedure: “’You have come far And your eagerness is astounding This last task will hopefully be easy If your mind is clear And your heart is pure No problem should you have, in taking the ball However, if you are here for greed and chaos Out from your reach, the ball will be” When he was done, everypony sucked on the words for a moment. Nopony really knew what to make out from the script. But suddenly, Shadowblade began to laugh. He laughed loudly and long, and his snickering was bouncing between the walls, amplifying the impression that he was a madman. The laugh was a combination of darkness and amusement. It made everypony in the group shiver. Eventually, his crazy laughter turned to just some slight giggling. “How ironic,” he said, still panting from the laugh-attack. “No one of us can take the ball, despite all the efforts we have done to get here.” The ponies looked shocked at what their leader just had said. “I-I beg your pardon?” Faceless eventually said. “Oh, but can you not see it?” Shadowblade walked towards the stone and tried to reach for it, but his hoof bounced off as he closed in on it, like something invisible was shooting it back. “It is useless! Anypony, be my guest! The first pony that lays his or her hoof on the stone gets a wish something. Anything in my power, I will grant to you in return for the stone. Good luck!” He sat down next to a wall and reached for his pipe once again. The other ponies looked confused at each other. This behavior was not the Shadowblade any of them knew. “What are you waiting for? That the stone will magically be put into your mouth? Come on, get to work!” “Okay, I try first…” Deathoak said and slowly began to walk towards the stone. Some meters away from it, however, he collided with something, and was forced to take a step back. He put forth his hoof and touched some kind of invisible wall surrounding the pillar. It felt like… gummy. As he tried to push deeper into the wall, it curved inwards, and its resistance got stronger the further Deathoak penetrated it. “It is some kind of magical barrier…” he eventually noted. “That thing just sent me flying! Why does it not do the same to you?” Lightningbolt asked annoyed. “I do not know, but I have a theory…” He charged up a magic missile and launched it against the invisible barrier. As he had predicted, it only bounced away, hitting the ceiling and blowing up some dust. “I think the barrier shoots back anything that comes in contact with it. It is a darn hard spell to make, but it is possible.” “Get away my way,” a grumpy voice suddenly said, and Deathoak barely managed to step aside before a heavy mace came smashing down against the wall. The wall sent the weapon flying with even greater velocity than Lightningbolt earlier, and it ended up making a large crack on the wall. “Are you stupid?” Deathoak asked shocked. “It doesn’t work that way! It will only send your attacks back at you!” Smacher looked irritated at the tiny black unicorn. “Me not like your voice,” he then said, before stomping after his mace. “So you mean that everything we do will be sent back at us?” Faceless asked more politely. “Pretty much, yes. Unless we meet the right requirements.” “And those are?” “Didn’t you hear what I read some minutes ago? ‘If your mind is pure And your heart is clean No problem should you have, in taking the ball’ It is that simple!” Laughter rose from the wall again, as Shadowblade almost choke on his pipe from his snickering. “Oh, do not mind me. Hrmh, please continue,” he eventually said after he had recovered. Annoyed, Deathoak turned back to Faceless. “So we simply need to crack the puzzle, and then we would be able to break the barrier!” “You mean like Silent is doing right now?” Lightningbolt said and pointed towards the quiet pony, standing were the barrier should be and his sword was a long way inside where it should be impossible to be. “How- Oh right, goblin steel!” Deathoak said. “Haha, way to go Silent!” Silent didn't pay him any attention as he continued to cut through the barrier. Even Shadowblade observed with great interest. Silent slowly swept his sword amongst the barrier, creating a hole big enough for a pony to climb in. When he was satisfied, he sheeted his sword and took a big step inside the predicted hole in the invisible wall. Only to be pushed out the second after. Everypony went silent. Deathoak walked closer to the intended 'gap' and felt his hoof along the wall. He managed to feel the hole Silent had made for just a second before it magically closed again. "I think its somehow regenerating," he then explained to the others. “Haha, not even Silent knows a way in, that shows how screwed we all are,” Shadowblade said teasing. After having concluded his theory, Deathoak looked annoyed at the sitting pony. “Alright, that's it. Tell us why you are so certain that none of us will reach the stone!” “Hmhm, can you not figure that out yourself?” Muttering, Deathoak repeated the riddle in his mind. If your mind is clear And your heart is pure No problem should you have, in taking the ball However, if you are here for greed and chaos Out from your reach, the ball will be… “You mean that our motives are greedy and that is why we can’t reach the ball?” Deathoak asked. “No, no, not at all! Rather the opposite: we are here to fetch it for somepony else, is not that considered quite generous?” “Mind is pure and heart is clean… I’m afraid I can’t say that I can figure this out…” “Oh, but please Deathoak! Name one pony in here that have not another pony’s blood on their hoofs? Even if we do it for a good cause, our heart will still be far from pure! We won’t be able to reach it because deep inside, we are quite evil.” A creepy silence swept through the group. It was not an awkward silence. It was the silence a criminal makes when he just realize that his simple robbery had accidently turned into a murderer. The soft puffs from Shadowblade’s pipe were the only sounds that filled the room. “So… You are just going to give up?” Deathoak eventually said puzzled. Shadowblade slipped out a muffled laugh. “You do not know me very well Deathoak, do you? I never give up. We simply have to find somepony else to do it for us. Somepony that is ‘kind’ enough to help us. Somepony with a clear mind and a clean heart. Shouldn't be too hard, we are after all in Equestria, 'the land of harmony'.” The last three words came out more as a mocking than a statement. The group looked even more confused now than they were looking before. “Where do you suggest we find this… ‘kind’ pony of yours?” Faceless asked. Shadowblade grinned evilly. “Deathoak, did you not say before that there was a village named ‘Ponyville’ around these parts?” Introduction"Once upon a time, in the magical land of Scardiva. There were eleven different tribes, who ruled together, and created prosperity to all the land. To do this, the clans were given different tasks to handle. Three clans were given the rich farming lands to the south. Their task was to grow food to all the other tribes. Three clans were soldiers, which only duty was to defend the other tribes from the many dragons and other foul beasts purging their mountain kingdom. They were given the most dangerous lands to live in, in order to keep the monsters at bay, if they tried to emerge from their dark caves. Two clans were given the material rich land to the north, filled with forests and rich mines. They were given the task to craft tools to the farmers, and weapons for the warriors, not to mentioning keeping Scardiva prosper. One clan were given a tiny area somewhere near the southeast border. They were meant to be traders and diplomats, keeping the international business for the welfare of the kingdom. One clan was only given one single city to control, but they were also given a very important task. They were supposed to guard the library of Scardiva's collected wisdom and history. They were also assigned to archive the events that occur in the present, in order for the future generations to learn from the past’s mistakes. And the last clan was given the large land in the centre of the kingdom. They were the leader of the land, and were given the trust to rule over all the other clans, to make everything run smoothly. Thus, the eleven tribes maintained balance for their kingdom, and for their loyal subjects, all the different types of tribeponies. But as time went on, the tribes became resentful. The farmers felt discriminated, the warriors were unpleasant with having to constantly risk their lives, the craftsponies wanted more bits for their goods and the diplomats and wise librarians wanted more authority. One faithful day, every tribe stopped working together. Their leader tried to reason with them, but the bitterness in their hearts turned the tribes against each other. A violent civil war erupted. Reluctantly, the leader found no other way, but to step down from his throne, making each tribe an individual independent state. The leader had prevented a disaster, but Scardiva have remained scattered generation since..." Extract from "History of Scardiva, volume 1" written by multiple authors, translated into Equestria by Arial Multi-Speech. "Scardiva Stonehoof's Prophecy One day, Scardiva will once again be united under a single, wise ruler Nevermore will the clans fight eachother Nevermore will the mountains be considered a wasteland And with the rise of the wise ruler The death of Equestria's ruler will be followed shortly after" Extract from "Prediction and prophecies", written by Madame Wisdom Mane.
Chapter 1 - A strange ponyThe grass felt pleasant against Fluttershy's hoofs as she walked through the meadow. Some birds twittered in the distance and bees were collecting nectar from the many colorful flowers dotting the field. The shinning sun contributed to the wonderful scene with its warming rays, and the air was refreshing for the lunges. A hoof-full of butterflies saw the familiar pegasus and greeted her by landing softly on her mane. It tickled her slightly. The crows eggs had recently hatched, and the yellow-colored-animal-lover's skin was about to jump off the pony's flesh in her eagerness to see them. Last time the couple had tried to have baby's, some dragons had stolen their eggs and smashed them just one week before they were planned to hatch. After seeing how devastated the crows had been, Fluttershy had been taken extra care of them, and now, her efforts were paying off. She smiled. "This is going to be a perfect day!" She inhaled another deep breath from the relaxing aroma of nature. There was nothing more beautiful than the smell of living trees and green grass... Maybe she should pay Twilight a visit after she was done with the crows? It had been a while now since she last saw her. They could always have a picnic together, that would be nice! Her bunny suddenly stopped, snapping her out from her thoughts. The butterflies flew panicked away from her mane and the birds abruptly stopped their twittering. "O-oh," Angel thought. "This is not good..." Fluttershy looked slightly anxious at her companion. “I-is something wrong Angel?” There was something wrong! Something terribly wrong! Angel smelled something danger approaching, and fast! He could not determine what exactly the threat was from just the smell. It reminded him of a wolf, or a dog, combined into a dirt monster of some sort. Both were creatures he did not want to get too familiar with. The bunny began to desperately pull Fluttershy’s mane towards the opposite direction of the threat. “Ouch! Angel, what are you doing? Stop it, it hurts!” Adrenaline pumped through the bunny's tiny body; there was no time to explain! They needed to run, and that fast! But what could the little bunny do to warn his owner? It was not like these things happened on regular basis in Ponyville... The smell of rotten meat combined with sweat and mud was getting closer for every second they stood still. He stomped his feet as hard as he could in a desperate try to make Fluttershy understand that this was important, but it only made the mare even more confused. “What do you mean? Don’t you want to see the baby crows with me?” "Well, that too," he thought but now it was too late. The danger was already here. A red-colored dog jumped up from one of the hills and was leaping through the meadow. The tail looked fluffy, and it was remarkable silent for being so extremely fast. It could only mean one thing: it was a wolf, and wolfs eat bunnies! Angel found cover behind Fluttershy’s leg and with a shaking pawn, he pointed at the red wolf. Ponyville's easiest-scared pony quickly turned around startled in her expectation to meet a monster from another dimension to devour her in one, large bite. To her relief it was only a red wolf... Wait a minute! Wolfs aren't red! “I-is that an animal?” she asked herself, both puzzled and scared. It sure looked like one, but she had never seen any animal colored red before (She didn't count Dragons). Perhaps this wolf was sick somehow? At least she now realized why Angel was acting so weird. “Don’t worry sweetheart, I’m not letting that scary red wolf eat you!” she assured him and hid him deep inside her pink, long mane. There were few animals Fluttershy feared, and strange red wolfs were not on that list. In fact, she started to become more curios than afraid. She hadn’t seen many wolfs in her life and especially not red ones. But she had read in one of Twilight's books that wolfs are grey or white, hostile to ponies and eats flesh. Because of their aggressive behavior, she recalls from her memory, most of them lives in the Everfree Forest, and only on rare occasions could one be seen around Ponyville. But one thing was for sure: there is no creature Ponyville's number one animal lover couldn't handle! That was at least what she told herself... The red wolf was up close now and had stopped running. It panted winded, but kept closing in on Fluttershy. If it was hunting, it would have leapt over the yellow pony long time ago. No, this little fellow was not hunting, it was exploring. She could see it from its wide opened eyes and high-stringed ears. But her bunny thought otherwise. "For Celestias sake Fluttershy, why don't you just run!?" Yet again, Angel started pulling the pink mane violently, but this time, Fluttershy was far too excited to notice the living activity in her hair. A living wolf up close! It was a one-life opportunity! With her soft voice, she called out to the animal. “Come here little fellow, don’t be afraid.” The wolf slowly did as it was told and soon, it was face to face with the yellow pegasus. There was a second of status quo were neither the pony nor wolf dared to do anything. Only examining each other curiously... Carefully, very carefully, Fluttershy lifted her hoof and slowly patted its red fur. It broke the stalemate. The wolf happily returned the gesture by rubbing its face into the yellow snout. The wolf's fur was not at all like the fur of a dog, it was much more smoothing, more like a cat than a dog. But the smell was barely bearable! It smelled like it hadn't washed itself for weeks! Yes, that would be the first thing she would do when she got back home! Fluttershy was already planning in her mind of this afternoon. First the baby crows, then she would give this wolf a much needed bath, and then she would visit Twilight. They would have a picnic in the grass field and the purple unicorn would surely be able to explain why the wolf was red. Fluttershy's smile widened. "This is going to be a wonderful day," she thought and giggled. “That’s a good boy, come here. Oh isn’t he cute Angel? Aren’t you cute Mr. Wolf, Aren’t you cute!” The scared bunny did not think the murderess wolf was cute at all! It was terrifying! The wolf looked like it was about to quickly snatch him and then run away quickly before Fluttershy even would notice he was gone! Angel made everything he could to keep a low profile inside the pink mane, but he was certain that it was already too late. The wolf had probably already seen him, and it was just waiting for the right moment to strike at his next dinner! The white bunny would have never thought his life was going to end inside a red, wolf's stomach... Some minutes of snuggling passed when Fluttershy eventually looked up with a big grin. “You know what I’m going to call you, Mr. Wolf?" The wolf looked confused at the yellow pony. "I’m going to call you Redie… Because you’re Red!” She snickered like she just had made a funny joke. The wolf didn't react to his new name, but only looked even more confused than before. Angel facepalmed. "Fluttershy should really not befriend animals so easily, she will end up in trouble one day," he thought with a damped groan. "Or worse: *I** will end up in trouble one day!"* Suddenly, a large shadow fell upon Fluttershy and a strange voice interrupted her giggling. “That really is a fine name but his name is Foxie…” Her heart made a double jump as she looked up startled. In front of her stood a pony, whose appearance wasn’t like anything she had ever seen before. He was a bit taller than usual, but he would still have to look up at Big Mac. A wide, green, brimmed hat, covered his face from the sunlight, and attached to it where everything from a magnifying glass to different types of feathers and scissors. Fluttershy could not tell if he was a Pegasus or an earth pony, because he wore a lot of hiking equipment that covered the places where potential wings would be. His coat was light grey, a very unusual color for a pony, and his cutie mark symbolized an old, moth-eaten map. There was also something about his smell that confounded Fluttershy. He smelled like... living trees... and green grass... “…because it is a fox, not a wolf.” The pony lightened up like he just made a good joke. A fox? The yellow pegasus had never heard about any creature called foxes before... Shy as always, she hid her face behind her mane and remained silence. Angel sighed. "That’s Fluttershy alright! She befriends animals to easy but as fast as a new pony shows up, she can't even say hello properly." The grey pony continued. “But I can see why you thought it was a wolf, but foxes do not live in these areas.” He was clearly not from Equestria; his accent was way different. He pronounced the vowels a bit longer than Equestrian ponies did. “It’s… Beautiful,” Fluttershy managed to say. “Yes he is quite the sight! You can call me Landstrider.” He put forward his hoof to greet. “And what is your name?” Landstrider looked curiously at the yellow pony as he waited for an answer. Fluttershy gave the outstretched hoof a hasty shook and then dropped it just as quickly. “Umm… My name… is Fluttershy...” She was getting better at presenting herself to new ponies, but it was still hard for her. She really wished to get rid of the awkward moments she always seemed to get trapped in after saying her name... The grey pony squinted at her. “Fluttershy was it?” The pegasus heart made another double jump and she nodded discreetly. This was the first time a pony had perceived her name at the first try... This meant her training was paying off! Landstrider interpret the yellow pony's weird head movement as a nod and looked at her puzzled in return. “Do not mind me asking but... Why are you whispering it?” The stallion looked around suspiciously. “Are you hiding from somepony?” The yellow pony twitched and violently shook her head but remained silence. “Well, that is at least good!" The stranger made a short laugh. "This started to remind me of that time I met a filly who was hiding from his mother. He was so nervous when he tried to explain to me that he had been caught stealing pie from his mother.” He snickered at the memory. “Yeah, and you should have seen the look on his face when he realized that his mother was right behind him the whole time!” Fluttershy barely paid any attention to the story. Something else was taking up her mind. The smell wasn't the only strange thing about this pony, there was also something with the stranger’s voice that made her feel uncomfortable... well, more uncomfortable than usual... but it was not his accent! It was like, every time he spoke something jumped around in her stomach and made her feel sick. I-just-want-to-sunk-into-the-ground-and-disappear sick... Landstrider ignored her strange behavior and continued. “Anyway I am a traveler and I was just wondering if you could point me in the direction of Ponyville where I will hold up for awhile.” The timid pegasus was caught a little bit of guard but eventually pointed at the direction she came from. “That way,” she whispered. “Thank you!” he said and stood quiet for some seconds. “But you are lying.” The curled up pony gasped. “I-I am not lying at all! I promise that Ponyville is in that direction!” No one had ever called her a liar before, especially not a complete stranger! W-was she really famous for lying? Well, there was that time when she had told Rarity that she liked being a model when she really didn't. Had the word spread so far that even strangers thought she was a liar before they even had met her? And if this stranger thought she was a liar, then all ponies in Equestria must think she is a liar! She felt the tears pressing at her eyes. In her mind, she pictured everyday ponies walking the streets of far away Candyfornia, talking about that 'dreadful liar Fluttershy' and how 'distrustful and treacherous that pony must be'. No one would ever let her take care of their animals again! When the words would spread to her friends, they would abandon her, and she would be alone... again... She wasn't a liar! They would abandon her for something she wasn't! Ponyville was really that way, why didn't he believe her? Fluttershy felt her tears drip slowly down her checks. “I-I’m not a liar...” she whispered with words that slowly trailed away into whimpering. Landstrider just laughed. “No, no, no, not that! I am sure that you are right when you say that Ponyville is that way.” Fluttershy made a short sob and looked confused at Landstrider through her mane. So she wasn't known as the biggest liar in all of Equestria? “I meant that you are hiding from somepony, namely me.” He made a big smile under his hat. But his joke fell on hard soil. Now, the poor pony in front of him was scared instead! Should I be hiding from him? Was he a criminal I should have heard of? Was he a spy from another country? The more she thought about it, the more scared she became. I must warn Twilight, no Celestia herself! If I will survive, but I won't survive! He will take me to a dark chamber and I will be locked there forever and... Her tears began to flow down her cheek like rain on a window. This was much worse than being known as a liar! Landstrider noticed the Pegasus cries and took a startled step back. “Umm... What I meant was that you do not have to be so shy for me, I will not bite anypony.” Landstrider laughs sounded more nervous this time. This was not the way he wanted the conversation to turn, he only tried to be funny! His fox gave him an angry glare and he avoided his gaze. “Sorry, it was just a joke…” The yellow pony's desperate whimpering was the only thing that answered his stuttered apology. He felt more and more ashamed that he had managed to scare a pony he didn’t even know to the brink of tears. He made some nervous coughs. “Umm, thank you for your help anyway umm, Fluttershy, I will take my leave then." He made a long detour around the frightened pony to not seem threatening. The smell of nature slowly disappeared from Fluttershy as the grey pony increased the distance between them. "Kom Foxie, vi går nu.” The fox responded to the strange words and ran off to the walking baggage slowly moving towards Ponyville. The grey pony turned around one last time. “…And I am sorry if I scared you, it was not what I intended to do.” He scratched his head a bit uncomfortable before turning back towards Ponyville. -- When the fox was far gone, Angel dared to jump out from Fluttershy’s mane. The pony was still shaking with fear and sobbing heavily. A hard kick to the flank was just enough to make the yellow pegasus jump up startled with a weak scream. She turned around terrified only to find Angel looking at her meaningfully. “Oh, please Angel, don't look at me that way! I know what you are thinking, but h-h-he was a criminal of some sort!” The loud sound from the bunny's paw being slammed into his own forehead clearly demonstrated Angel's opinion. By making different signs with his body, he eventually explained to Fluttershy that the stranger only tried to be polite. “Do you think I overreacted?” She swept away some tears Angel nods violently. “You don't think he's a criminal?” The bunny gives the pegasus an are-you-serious look and then shook his head. “Well, maybe he wasn’t, but you can never be too sure! He did sound like he wasn’t from Equestria, and countries outside of Equestria are not ruled with friendship, you know that!” Angel rolled his eyes. Fluttershy's extreme paranoia was still no reason to act hostile toward other ponies. He tried signal this but the discussion was over. “We don't have time for arguing Angel, we are late for the baby crows!" Angel snapped his pawn in disappointment. She hadn’t forgotten it. After some inner struggles, Angel jumped cranky after his over-protective mistress... -- Despite the cute baby crows, Fluttershy could not stop thinking about this Landstrider. She had never ever met a pony from outside of Equestria before, and if that marvelous beautiful creature was just one of many animals where he was from... She couldn't deny that she wanted to know more about where he was from. Well, she was relieved that the strange pony was gone but she also felt a little bit disappointed that she hadn't dared to ask him more about the fox, or other animals as well. Every time she pictured Landstrider in her mind, the more she felt that fuzzy feeling inside her stomach. It made her feel like vomiting and jumping at the same time! She didn't like it at all. It was better if she tried to avoid Ponyville for a while. At least until she was sure that Landstrider was gone from it... Landstrider slowly walked the dirty road to his intended destination. His sore hoofs gave him a stream of pain for every step he took with his old horseshoes. He had been traveling in the open for about three weeks now, and even his trained legs began to get weary. Not to mention his back… He tried to get his thoughts away from his body. “That was a really shy pony, right Foxie?” he said in his native language. Foxie shock his head to show him that he did not agree. “Well, I mean she was shy toward me.” Now Foxie agreed! Landstrider thought about the conversation for a moment. “I might have come a little bit 'strong' on her perhaps... Do you think I said something wrong?” The animal shrugged his shoulders carelessly. Foxie was a great companion to have with you on your travels, but talking to this creature was like having a discussion with a brick wall. But Foxie had been with him since he was a filly, so he was used to it. “And I thought a pony with such a beautiful face would be *too** social, if you know what I mean."* Foxie made the chuckling sound he had learned to recognize as laughter. He could not help but giggle a little himself. "Oh well, I hope the rest of the ponies here aren’t that afraid of me…” A loud 'swoosh' sound interrupted him and he looked up reflexively. He took a step back gasping, before he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Up in the sky, something was moving with an incredible speed, performing the most amazing stunts and tricks whose alike he had almost never seen before... But it wasn't the amazing loops and turns that was the most impressive part; the creature seemed to leave behind a trail of rainbows where ever it flew! How is that even possible? The creature suddenly stopped and swept away some sweet from his forehead. Wait a second... Was that a pony?? Indeed it was, and the blue pony's mane was colored as the rainbows she left behind her. The blue Pegasus was panting heavy and stretched his muscles a bit before continuing with the air-performance she had been doing earlier. The pony's mane at least explained the rainbow tracks but how could anypony, or anything for that matter, be that fast? The eye could barely keep up with the movements! There was only one reasonable explanation Landstrider could come up with. “That most be one of the famous Wonderbolts Foxie!” The red companion was just as amazed from the air show above him as he was. “I didn’t know one of them lived in Ponyville..." The pegasus had started again to do loop and tricks. Landstrider looked around and for his delight, he found a huge tree close by. "It isn’t everyday you see a Wonderbolt train just out in the open like this,” he said and took a seat under the shade of the tree. With a relaxed groin, he let his package drop from his back. Oh, that stuff was heavy! The Pegasus continued to impress him as it did moves Landstrider didn’t even know a pegasus could do. But then again, Pegasi didn’t really exist where he was from... It was a marvelous sight... After several more stunts, the Pegasus landed with a heavy smack in the middle of the green meadow and the rainbow after her slowly faded away. She seemed to be exhausted, which wasn’t really a surprise after all that amazing flying! Ponyville's cloud-manager exhaled disappointed. She wasn’t 100% satisfied with today's training pass. She had been to slow for the hyper-mega-super-spin and not agile enough for the ultra-cool-awesome-rainbow-loop. But one thing was certain: she WAS going to make it before the Canterlot youth competition in five months! Even if she would have to slay a dragon to master the tricks! Rainbow Dash had won the Cloudsdale's “Best young flyer competition”, and because of it, she was now invited to compete in the “Equastrias best flyers – youth division”. The competition would take place in Canterlot, and it was a great honor to participate there. It was a much bigger tournament than the one in Cloudsdale, and on top of that, the Wonderbolts would be there to scout for their next member. This was the opportunity she had been waited for her whole life, and she was determined to take it! It was not until now she noticed that she was being watched. A figure under a tree nearby waved to her and shouted out to her. “Hi there!” With a fast maneuver, she flew face to face with the green creature under the tree, almost crashing into him from the sheer shock that it in fact was an Earth pony with a green hat! Next to the grey stallion was a strange red dog curved up snoring. A lot of weird packing lay on the ground next to him, and he grinned cheerfully towards her. After recovering from the strange sight, Dash found the whole scene funny. “Hi!” she replied while holding back a laugh. She landed in front of him, and the shade under the tree felt relaxing for the blue pegasus overused muscles. The grey pony lifted his green hat slightly. “You were really good up there," he then said with an impressed tune. "But I must say that I did not know the Wonderbolts trained without their suits on.” She blushed for just a second before her though, proud attitude covered it up. Dash wasn’t expecting a compliment from the complete stranger. “Please!” she said boastfully. “I’m not a Wonderbolt –yet! But I will be after the Canterlots best flyer competition in five months!” The blue pony proudly posed in front of the stallion, which was clearly impressed. “Yes, I can see that! I have not seen such stunts since that time I met Spitfire…” The mares eyes widened upon hearing her idols name. “YOU HAVE MET SPITFIRE??” She flapped her wings exciting, and her face demanded the stranger to tell more. “Yes, she saved my life actually…" “Really?? Wow that’s so awesome! You must tell me how!” She always got excited from stories about Spitfires heroic deeds. She flew up so she was in his eye level. “Well… It was a couple of months ago, when I first entered Equestria…” Before the grey pony could continue his story, she interrupted him. “’Entered Equestria’? What do you mean?” The pony looked away from the mare's gaze. “I am not from Equestria, I am from… Scardiva… Anyway, as I was saying..." “Scardirva? I have never heard of that place before! Where is it?” The stranger lost his speech again. “It-it is north-east from Equestria but as I was saying…” “North-east from Equestria? You mean there is something OUTSIDE of Equestria?” She gave the pony a skeptical look. “Well of course there is!" The grey pony snorted. "Did you think Celestia ruled the world or what?” The pegasus blushed again. She had believed that Equestria was the world, and that Celestia ruled it with Luna. How can she never have heard of countries such as Scardiva before? How many other countries were there in the world? How could countries not want Celestia as their Princess? The pony tried to start over again. “Anyway, as I was saying about Spitfire…” “But if you are not from here, why are you here?” Again, the pony cleared his throat and started all over. “Hrmm, I would love to tell you that during a warm and nice dinner but right now…” Dash’s eyes lightened up. “You're hungry? Let’s go to Applejack's farm then! She always has some apple-pies to spare!” she said excited. “Well that is nice but I was thinking of going to Ponyville right now…” “Oh, but Applejack's farm is just next to Ponyville. It’s just a slight detour, you have time for that!” Dash eyes looked begging at the stranger. “Yes I suppose so…” “Great, it's settled then!” She smiled. “Follow me, you can tell me the story about spitfire on the way.” It was not until then she realized she still hadn’t introduced herself. “By the way, I’m Rainbow Dash.” The blue mare made a quick bow. The grey pony smiled. “You can call me ‘Landstrider’, nice to meet you Rainbow Dash.” “ ’Landstrider’ ” She tasted at the name. “That’s a funny name.” Landstrider laughed. “Yes I suppose it is. And this little buddy here is Foxie.” The strange animal watched Rainbow Dash with big eyes from under the tree. “What kind of animal is it? I have never seen anything like that before…” “It is a fox. They do not live down here in Equestria, so I am not surprised you have not seen one…” Landstrider gave the Fox some quick pats. “It looks cool!” Dash inspected the Fox closer. It looked just like a dog, but red. And perhaps more agile... It was moment like this she wished she had chosen the hawk as a pet instead of her tortoise... “Hörde du det Foxie? Hon tycker du är cool!” Landstrider said and the fox smiled. She flew backed away shocked. “What was THAT?” Her eyes were wide open. The stallion looked up. “Oh, it was nothing. I only told Foxie you think he is cool…” The fox began to rub against Dash's leg. If any of Rainbow Dash's friends was there to see the look on Dash's face right now, she would have been teased about it for the rest of her life! The fastest and bravest of all ponies in all of Ponyville being left speechless like that: priceless! Unfortunately, Landstrider had no idea what big feat he had accomplished by shocking the blue mare to silence. “You can talk to animals??” Now Rainbow Dash was really impressed. “No, no, no, I cannot!” Landstrider laughed. “It was Scardivariska, my native language, such as yours is Equestrian…” Dash was stunned. Not only had she never seen a pony from anywhere else than Equestria before, but he also spoke a completely different language! How cool isn't that?! “But how can you talk Equestrian then?” “Well, Equestrian is pretty much the international language all over the world, so if you decide to travel, it is a smart thing to learn Equestrian first.” “Is Equestrian the international language?” She began to regret that she never had paid any attention in school. “For ponies, yes. Equestria is after all the largest nation in the world.” How large is Equestria exactly? I should go and ask Twilight about it later. I wonder if there is other Alicorns ruling the other countries as well... Landstrider interrupted her thoughts. “Anyway, about Spitfire…” “How many nations are there in the world?” She asked curiously. The pony thought about it for a second before answering. “I do not know about the whole world but I do have a map covering the surroundings. You can take a look at if you want…” “Yes please, show me!” She grinned. “…after I got something to eat.” He looked meaning at Dash and then gave her a smile. After a long story (that got repeatedly interrupted by Rainbow Dash) about how Landstrider nearly was killed by a dragon until Spitfire came along, they finally made it to Applejack's endless apple trees. “…Wow, I can’t believe you actually risked your life just to take back a stolen photograph from that dragon,” said Rainbow Dash and her eyes twinkled. “It was the least thing I could do after so much that family had helped me. Besides, I know how hard it is to lose the only thing that reminds you of somepony…” his voice faded away and he looked quietly at the ground. Dash didn’t notice Landstrider's reaction. “If I was there I would have snatched that picture right in front of that dragons face and then quickly escape! He wouldn’t even know what was happening.” She made some quick movements in the air to demonstrate what she meant. Landstrider woke up from his thoughts and laughed. “Hehe, yes but for me without wings it is not that easy.” Landstrider gazed over the miles of trees covering a large valley. It was clear that this ‘Applejack’ lived up to her name. There were apple trees as far as the eyes could see. He scratched his head impressed. "That is a lot of trees..." he said stunned. “Yes, it is my friend Applejack we are talking about! Wait here and I will go find her.” Before Landstrider had time to answer, Dash had flown away into the bush of trees and disappeared. It was an unusually warm day in Scardiva. The sun was melting away the past months hazardous snow and the mud piles stretched as far as the eyes could see. It was actually so warm, that some ponies chose to take of their winter jackets. That day, the stallions did mourn over their hard work on the field, and mares comforted their fillies, promising them that this was the sign of better times. Unfortunately, they were wrong. On this very beautiful day, a small group of five Earth ponies and one Unicorn had gathered outside one of Scardivas more peaceful villages. The five's cloaks was as dark as the night, and their reputation as infamous as the dragon king Firetounge himself. Few ponies had ever seen one of them and lived to tell the tale. The bare sight of their dark cloaks could make even the bravest pony sweat. They were a sacred band of assassins called "The dark knifes" and they served one of the more powerful tribes in Scardiva. Where ever they showed up, evil were sure to follow, and they were feared in all of Scardiva. The sixth pony however, was unknown in Scardiva. In Equestria, however, he was known as the first pony who had ever escaped one of Celestia's prisons. His name was Deathoak, a former student of 'Celestia's magic school for talented Unicorns', until he had decided to practice more... forbidden magic. He considered himself an artist, and his profession was death. One of the Dark Knifes took a step forward and his golden eyes penetrated deeply into Deathoak's red ones. “It has come to our attention that you wish to join us.” The pony's voice was deep and muffled. “Yes, I do!” The unicorn answered with a confident tune. The Dark Knife gave a look at his other members and back to Deathoak. “Do not speak again except when spoken to, it is rude.” The pony’s golden eyes glittered in the sunlight as he continued. “I do not know if you are brave or just young and stupid Deathoak. Please, enlighten me why we should let an Equestrian unicorn into the sacred circle of the Mörka Knivarna, and why we should not kill you right where you stand.” Some of the other ponies slip out some muffled laughs. Their dark giggles would have given the creeps to anypony, but Deathoak was not anypony. The black unicorn laughed back at them. “For the simple reason that you can’t kill me, none of you can!” He grinned. “I can kill you all with a simple thought if I so wished.” Deathoak was a smart unicorn. He knew what their reaction would be. Within the blink of an eye, he quickly teleported some meters away, barely slipping pass the daggers that had been thrown towards him by several of the cloaked ponies. The smile on the dark clothed vanished. Except for the golden eyed. He simply stomped his feet at the ground in an applaud. “Impressive...” he said. “...but being able to avoid getting killed does not make you a member to our group. What we want to know is: what can you contribute to us?” Deathoak snorted. “Do you know why I'm a wanted pony in Equestria? It is not because I escaped imprisonment. No, it is because I killed ponies. I tortured them, slowly draining their knowledge and power until they begged to be killed, and then I killed them.” But the golden eyed just yawned. “So you think we cannot do the same? And that you actually got caught after killing them is not a good reference to...” “I got caught because I didn’t realize that I had got my cutiemark!” He showed them his flank, where a symbol of a pony skull could be seen on his black coat. “I can kill ponies quicker than anypony of you, and I can extract information from them way faster than anypony of you can!” Deathoak growled angrily. “Calm down Deathoak! Showing your emotions are a sign of weakness...” Deathoak straightened up. “Yes... Of course, I apologize...” The golden eyed pony just shook his head. “Killing ponies quick is not really what we need either.” “Please, just give me something to prove my worth and I do it! Anything!” The golden eyed looked at the other ponies. They gave him a slightly nod and he looked back at Deathoak. “All those who wish to enter the circle need to pass three tests: the test of ability, the test of reason and the test of loyalty. We will start with the test of ability.” He walked to the side of the hill. “You see that village?” He pointed down towards a small settlement some miles away. ”They have allegiance to one of the few remaining rebel leaders. You say that your special ability is killing, so we want you to kill every single peasant in that village...” Deathoak took a quick glance over the village. It would be no problem at all, with enough time he could- “...In 5 minutes.” Okay, he took that back. One of the five twitched when she heard the time limit. “But Shadowblade, that is impossible for one pony alone! Not even with my speed...” The golden eyed gave the mare a glare and she went instantly silent. “For him to be useful to us he must be able to do something we cannot do...” He looked back to the confused Equestrian. Deathoak had no idea what the discussion was about, he couldn’t understand Scardivariska, but he paid great attention to the ponies' reactions. It was clear that the golden eyed not only was the messenger of the circle but also its leader... “We start the time when you kill the first pony.” The golden eyed took forth a tiny hourglass from one of his pockets and showed it to Deathoak. Deathoak smiled. “Watch me,” he said and closed his eyes. For him, this was just a perfect opportunity to try his new spell on more than just one simple pony. He had invented the spell himself, but it was still under development, and he had been in need of test subjects! His horn begun to glow with a black aura as he let his mind slowly leave his body. Despite he was uncertain if it would work on so many ponies, he still felt confident. It would work in theory, and the most of his ideas that worked in theory worked in practice as well. Like a force field, he let his mind scan the village, locating every stallion, mare and filly in the small town. Soon, he had located everypony in a large radius around the village. He could see the stallions working on the fields, the mares standing in the marketplace in the center of town, and he could see the fillies playing carelessly on the streets. He could see them all. He now entered the crucial part of the spell. With his magic, he started to penetrate the minds of everypony he had located. The villagers had been unaware of the situation until now. They began to scream in terror, as they felt their grasps of reality slowly dripping away from them, and their thoughts being read like a book. It worked! It actually worked! There was of course quicker ways to kill a bunch of ponies. For example, Deathoak could just conjure a massive fireball and pulverize the entire town if he so wished. But with this spell, he could drain the ponies' very soul from energy, making his own magic stronger permanently. The down side with the spell was that it's hard to keep focused during the long procedure, especially when many ponies like now where involved. When you penetrate someponies mind, you get to know absolutely everything about them. This creates a huge information stream right into Deathoak's mind. On individual targets, he would enjoy the sight of what everypony held closest to their hearts. He usually found it interesting to see what memories and information everypony valued most, but when it wasn’t only one single target, the information stream was just annoying. He felt their screams inside his head as he closed in to their souls. Memories from the past, concerns of the present, hopes for the future... It all vanished to oblivion as he winnowed them away from his mind. While some ponies passed out almost immediately, others more will strong ponies actually managed to put up a fight against Deathoak. But it really was a matter of time. As one pony fell, he could focus more of his power against the remaining ponies. Soon, he had drained every last pony from their energy. After he was done, he panted and collapsed. It was more exhausting then he had thought it would be. But at the same time, he could really feel the power he had absorbed inside of him. Soon, he would be the most powerful being in the world... He looked back at the other ponies. They all had dropped their jaws and were watching him with big eyes. He grinned. But when he took a quick glance at the hourglass, his smile vanished. The time was over, he had been to slow. He shouldn’t have stolen their energy; he should've just killed them immediately! Why couldn’t he just for once resist his endless lust for more power! Deathoak turned to the golden eyed. “I swear I can kill them quicker! Just watch!” His voice was filled with desperation. Dizzy, he tried to channel his last energy to conjure a huge fireball over the village, but he wouldn't make it. He was too weakened. “DEATHOAK!” He lost focus of his spell and the fireball vanished. The golden eyed took of his hood and reviled his face. The black unicorn gasped. It was full with scars and marks. The only thing that didn’t look crippled on the ponies face was his golden eyes... “You passed the time…” “But I told you I can…” “SILENCE!” Deathoak swallowed his words. “...despite your failure, you pass the test of ability. You can definitely be useful to the circle.” Deathoak eyes lightened up and he started to smile again. “But whip that smile away, let's continue with the test of reason.” Deathoak slowly nodded but the truth was: he felt too exhausted for another demanding test. “Y-yes, what do I have to do?” he said a little bit staggered. His self-confidence had completely vanished from his voice. “The test of reason is simple: Why do you want to join the circle? What is your reason for it? If it is just your taste for killing, I am afraid it will not be enough.” Deathoak exhaled relieved. He thought he had to do something that was actually hard! He was just about to answer him when the golden eyed stopped him. “But before you answer, take a look at my face. Notice how crippled it is, and expect yours to look exactly the same after some years in the circle. If you have a family, you will have to kill them before joining the circle. Otherwise our enemies will use them against us. If you love some special pony, kill her, or you will have a weak point that can be used against you. If you have any plans for the future, forget about them, because you will be bound to follow somepony else ambitions.” The golden eyed let his words sink in before he continued. “In short terms: Why are you willing to sacrifice your life in order to join "The Mörka Knivarna?”" Deathoak's bashful expression quickly turned serious. There was moments when Deathoak's artistic side disappeared, and got replaced with a more brutish, and ruthless side. When this happened, Deathoak wasn't an artist anymore; he was a killer. It was this side of him that had made him kill his parents. It was this side of him that had made him killed his baby dragon. It was this side Celestia had locked up... When the black unicorn answered, his voice was changed. It was now filled with hatred, instead of confidence. “Because you and I have the same goal…” he shortly said. The golden eyed looked suspiciously at the Equestrian. “And that would be?” Deathoak was panting heavily, as he was giving birth to a filly. If he hadn't used up all his energy, he would probably spark dark energy all around him. With a voice more twisted than discord himself, he answered his new master's question: “I want Princess Celestia’s head on a plate…”
Chapter 2 - Landstrider...and with that last one, it was exactly 29 carts. That meant it was only one cart left to fill for the day. The sweet smell of apples made Applejack's stomach growl complaining. She really looked forward for a break... “Okay Big Mac, we fill up this last cart and then we give our legs some well deserved rest.” She wiped the large sweat blobs away from her overheated forehead. The sunny day sure was beautiful but it made working twice as exhausting. Big Mac unattached himself from the cart. “Eeyup!” The orange mare took some of the empty baskets from the cart and placed them around one of the many apple-rich trees. Better get this over with, she thought and tightened her muscles for the strong kick. But to the appletree's rescue, a familiar “swoosh” made the earth pony lose her concentration and tripped over. “Hi Big Mac! Hi Applejack!” Dash said excited. Applejack got up from the ground and wiped away some dust with a damped groan. “Howdy Rainbow! I'm a bit busy right now, can I talk to ya la-?” "There’s a new pony in town, and he’s not from Equestria!” AJ completely lost herself for a second and stared blankly at her over-energetic friend. “N-not from Equestria?” she asked uncertain. “Yes, cool huh? He says his from Scardiva, and he speaks Scardivariska to!” The blue filly-like pegasus made an quick loop in her excitement. Her friend did not share her curiosity. “Are you're sure he was from the nation Scardiva?” “Yes! You heard about?” The orange pony exchanged an anxious look with her brother. “Yes, I’ve heard about it alright...” The pegaus noticed the deviating tune in her cowboy-friend's voice. “What? Is there something wrong about it?” The farmer sighed. “Well, I don’t know too much about Scardiva but it ain’t exactly sugar tales and cupcake stories comin’ from that place...” Big Mac nodded. “Eeyup.” “Huh? What do you mean?” Dash looked puzzled at them. “Well... Ya know why Scardiva ain't a part of Equestria, right Rainbow?" The blue mare snorted. "No I don't, what has that to do with anything?" "It has very much to do with Scardivaria! You at least now how Equestria was founded, right?" "Of course I know! I WAS the main actor of the play last year, remember?" Applejack just rolled her eyes. Yes, she remembered the time they played the last winter’s Heart's warming's eve to well. She was still reliefed that her friend had actually followed the script, and not making up things to fulfill her 'Rainbow Dash show' visions. In fact, if the annoying blue pony in front of her didn't happen to be her friend at all, she wouldn't bother explaining the story at all. “Anyway, listen carefully Rainbow," she began. "When the Earth ponies moved south from their northern lands, there were a group of earth ponies who didn’t have any allegiance to their chancellor...” "There WAS!?" Dash's eyes widened in both surprise and skeptical. That was not even near anything she ever had heard before... AJ cleared his throat and continued. “Yes, they didn’t follow her because they had been banished by the Chancellor for treason!" She interrupted herself in the middle of the story and looked suspiciously at Dash. "How can you not know this Rainbow? This is filly knowledge,” she then asked meaningfully. "HEY!" The pegasus glared angry at the insult. "Maaybee I was too busy being awesome to pay attention to school. Besides, I doubt that any Pegasus school teaches anything about Earth ponies' history!" Applejack just sighed. Why wasn't she surprised? She decided it was best not to argue. “Fine sugercube, I tell ya what happen: As ya'll know, they were short on supplies those days, and Puddin’head had made just enough to fed everypony in her tribe. But then, an evil pony named Scardiva Stonehoof, may he turn in his grave, showed up! He and his gang attacked the Chancellors food reserves, and stole almost all the crops the tribe had so gracefully collected. That’s why Puddin’head was forced to move south in the first place.” “But food wasn't enough for Scardivas greed. He wanted to rule! He followed Chancellor Puddin’head in secret, waitin’ for an opportunity to strike so he could crown himself as the new king of the Earth ponies!” “When the chancellor came to what's now Equestria, the opportunity Scardiva had been looking for arrived. He and his soldiers were just about to charge when the unicorns and the pegasi showed up. Scardiva's personal adviser saw the three tribes arguin’ and prevented him from commencin' the attack. He convinced him that it would be a smart thin’ to let the clans take each other out, instead of uniting them against a common enemy. Scardiva agreed, so he ordered to lay camp nearby. There, he watched in delight, as the three clans argin' almost turned into an open conflict." "But then, the blizzard blow up again. Scardiva had no choice but to search for shelter in the mountains they've come from because it was the only way to avoid detection. When the blizzard finally was over, Scardiva returned, just to see that the three clans had united and formed Equestria." "When Scardiva saw that his opportunity to become king had slipped from his hoof, he went furious as you might imagin’! He slain his adviser for tellin’ him to wait and then established what's today Scardiva. He later got joined forces with a group of banned rebels that also oppose the uniting of Equestria. On his deathbed, he swore that one day, the Scardivan ponies would unite under one leader and fulfill his ambition to take over Equestria.” Applejack gazed sad at the ground. “After Scardiva's death, several pretenders to the throne rose but none was strong enough to unify Scardiva. Today I still hear tales about thieves and slave tradin' plaguin’ the land, as different tribes strive for total domination…” she ended her story with a deep sigh. “So I would keep an eye on that Scardivan pony of yours, right Big Mac?” “Eeyup!” Dash had been totally mind-blown by the story. There had been a revolt? How could a country be in war with itself? For that matter of fact: how could a country not be ruled by an immortal Alicorn? Who was going to lead the country when the pony died? It all made no sense to her. “Well, that sounds bad and all…” she said… “But how do you even know all these stuff? It's not like they are a part of Hearth’s warming eve play!” The loud slam from Applejack's hoof colliding with her own face echoed yet again through the farm. “The Hearth’s warmin’ eve play is about Equestrian history, not Scandiva's, and if you'd perhaps had listened to your history lessons, you'd already know all this stuff!” “Pfff, at least I’m not an egghead!” the blue pony said cocky. Well, if she had knew that history could be THAT exciting, maybe he would have pay more attention to school, but nah. Being the most awesome pony in Ponyville was good enough! The orange pony rolled her eyes again and decided to ignore the boasting. “Anyway, is that pony in Ponyville right now?” The pegasus slammed her hoof into her own forehead. Thunderclouds! I forgot about Landstrider! “Oh right…” She made a nervous smile. “I miiight have promised him that you would give him just a tiiiiiiiiiny bit of apple-pie…” Applejack stumbled some steps back like she had been physically punched in the face. “You did what??” “I’m sorry Applejack I should have asked you first but this guy doesn’t seem that bad as you say all Scandivaran ponies are. Just give him a chance Applejack. You even gave Luna a chance when she came to Ponyville during Nightmare Night!” Well, Luna was a completely different case, but Applejack admitted that her stubborn friend had a point. A break did sound awfully tempting, and she would normally not be so suspicious towards other strangers... “Alright, alright stop those fuzzy eyes; I give him a slice of apple-pie...” “Yes!” The blue friends face sprung in success. “But I’ll be watchin’ him!” Applejack looked meaningfully at Rainbow. She returned the gaze by rolling her eyes. “Yea, yea whatever…” AJ gave her brother a slight nod. “It seems like our break came a bit earlier than I thought Big Mac…” “Eeyup!” Big Mac and Applejack followed the Pegaus to the edge of the apple farm where Landstrider was waiting for them. “It sure has been a while now since she left.” He let out a distressed sigh. “You think she doesn't find that Applejack?” Foxie yawned and shrugged carelessly. He didn't mind that the flying pony took her time, the grass in the tree-shade was just what he needed right now. He had been walking all day, and he thought he deserved some rest. The grey pony sighed. “You don't care, do you?" A small grin was the only answer he got. He rolled his eyes and decided to take matters in his own hoofs. He rose up on his two back hinds and tried to see if the blue pegasus was anywhere to be seen. Nothing. He sighed. "As fast as she was, I thought it would only be a matter of seconds. This Apple farm most be huge…” Landstrider's stomach growled loudly. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday... Just why couldn't the bloody pony return?? He would have been in Ponyville with a fresh carrot in his hoof by now! His stomach growled even louder, and he had got enough. He took forth a staff he had attached on his back and walked to one of the apple trees. “You don’t think they will mind if I take just one apple, do you?” Foxie shrugged again without looking up. “One apple wouldn’t hurt…” Landstrider said and knocked down an apple from one of the trees. The first and last time he had eaten an apple was for 2 months ago, in Appleloosa, and they had been rather sour. The owner of that farm had told him it hadn't been the right season for apples. He didn’t know if it was the right season now, but at this point he could eat anything! He put back his staff on his back and took a large bite from the apple. He took a step back in surprise. This apple was one of the best things he had ever tasted! It was way sweeter than the ones in Appleloosa and much more juicer than the bananas he had eaten in the monkey jungles! This most be the way apples are supposed to taste like, he thought and took another bit. Suddenly, Foxie rose up and snarled warningly. “What is wrong Fo-“ “HOLD IT YOU VILLIAN’!” Before he had time to react he was tackled to the ground by a large red-colored pony. The sudden sunrays that hit his eyes when his hat fell off temporarily blinded him, and he moaned from the pain his staff had brought him when he had landed on it. Horse potatoes, This pony sure is heavy... he managed to think while struggling for air. His red companion reacted instantly. Foxie leaped savagely at the attacker and scratched up several wounds on the pony’s back. The red mountain bit its lip but didn’t move a muscle away from the fox's master. “Foxie… Sluta…” Landstrider managed to say under the weight of the large pony. Is he nuts? Foxie thought, but he did as he was commanded. He jumped a good away from the massive red blur and growled threatening instead. An orange mare walked into Landstrider's sight of view. “That's just a fine little devil you’ve gotten’ yourself!” she said in an Appleloosian accent and glared angrily into the defenseless pony's eyes. “It’s not a devil, it’s a fox!” The familiar voice of his newly-acquired friend made Landstrider smile. “And it was only trying to protect him!” “Protectin’ him so he can steal more apples ya mean?” The orange pony snorted at the grey pony. "What does the thief have to say in his defense?" Landstrider tried to form a sentence but talking when you have a cement block over your lounges was not exactly one of his strengths. “Hngh, I can barely breathe... Please let me just stand up…” “Nnope.” The deep bass-voice almost made Landstrider think it was a dragon pushing him down. “It’s okay Big Mac, he won’t run away” Dash said and looked at Landstrider. “Right??” “Of course I will not! Just… Let me catch my breath.” The big pony gave the orange one a puzzled look before letting Landstrider go. He rose up and brushed some dust away before starting to explain. “Dash here told me to wait, and when it took so long I thought it would not do much if I took just one apple…” “It’s still stealin’” the orange pony interrupted sternly. “Eeyup!” The grey pony dug a hole in the ground while avoiding the mare's glance. This day isn't getting any better. First, he had scared the hay out of a pony he barely knew. Second, he had reluctantly being forced to swerve away from the right path to Ponyville. Third he was being accused for stealing and the worst part of it all: he was still hungry! “Yes, I suppose it is stealing, and I am deeply ashamed of it but…” “AND your 'pet' there sliced up Big Macs back like it was one of Opals dolls!” The orange pony pointed her hoof towards the big ones back. It was covered with several scratch marks. “Eeyup!” “Well yes but it moved only on instinct. Please let me just explain!" He took a deep breath before continuing. "I am sorry that I could not resist your delicious apples; it is just that I have not eaten since yesterday and my stomach is killing me. I was on my way towards Ponyville so I could buy some supplies but your friend here insisted on coming to this farm instead. It does not justify what I did, and I wish to repay you somehow, but right now I must get something to eat.” Landstrider reached for his hat and wiped away some dust from it. The orange mare looked at him with somewhat calmer eyes. “So… You haven’t eaten’ since yesterday…” She seemed to have softened up a bit. “No I have not...” The pony made a troubled sigh and exchanged a look with the big one. “I guess necessity knows no boundaries. After all, I would’ve offered apples to any unfamiliar face that comes by Ponyville in normal cases. I’ll look between the hoofs this time.” Landstrider puffed out on hearing those words. “But you still owe an apologize to Big Mac!” Landstrider cough and straightened up. “I am sorry that we came up on the wrong hoof so to say…” “Hmpf!” The red one was not satisfied. “Well, hehe…” Rainbow Dash made some forced laughs. “…this is Landstrider, Landstrider meet Applejack and Big Mac ehehe…” The other ponies ignored her. “Sorry for your back Big Mac. I do not have much money, but I would gladly do whatever I can to make it up for you.” The only one of them that seemed to be able to talk opened her mouth again. “I don’t know what ya could do to make up for just a wounded back, do you Mac?” “Nnope...” “Some few coins won’t cover up the bandages, and a day work in the field is too harsh…” She took herself on the chin while she pondered. “Well if it is hard to find something I could do to make up for just one apple and a wounded back, maybe I could 'steal' some of those apple pies Rainbow Dash told me about and then do some free labor to cover it up…” Again, the two siblings exchanged some puzzled looks, like they were telepathically talking to each other (which wouldn't surprise Landstrider a bit if they actually could). Judging from their expressions, they were still not convinced... The grey stallion smiled nervously. “Ehh, if it is to any help, your apples are much better than those offered to me in Appleloosa…” The orange pony winced. “YOU've been in Appleloosa?” He quickly picked up a map from one of his bags and examinee it closer. “Well yes, it is south west of here, is it not?” “Did you by chance meet Braeburn when you were down there?” Landstrider lightened up. “Of course I did!" he put the map back in the bag. "He sure had some interesting stories to tell! He told me about the buffalo-conflict, and how close it was for the whole town to be destroyed if it was not for his cousin and some of her friends had showed up!” Some muffled laughs slipped pass Rainbow Dash and AJ. “Yea, tell me about it!” Dash said, before giving in to a full burst of laughter as her memories from the crazy amok she had caused was too funny to ignore. It had been a funny scene alright: because all kinds of weapons were forbidden in Equestria (with the guards as a major exception), they had been throwing pies at each other. Pies for crying out loud! She laughed again, making Landstrider even more confused. “What? Is his stories not true?” He scratched his head confounded. “It’s true alright.” Applejack said “And I’m that cousin of his!” The traveler inhaled amazed. “You are?! Well, the world sure is a small place!” He concluded with a short giggle. “It’s nice to hear that my cousin still doin’ fine and dandy down there.” Applejack looked at Big Mac. “So what you say Big Mac, should we let, (Landstrider was it?) here to ‘steal’ some of Granny Smiths apple pies?” The brother grinned satisfied. “Eeyup!” Landstrider puffed out and swept away some nervous sweat from his forehead. Seemed like they had forgiven him... Before he had time to reflect upon it further, the mare suddenly started to shake his hoof wildly, making his whole body swing with it. “I’m sorry if we’re a bit cautious with ya Landstrider, but Scardivan ponies don’t really have a prince’s reputation ya know!” “Y-y-y-e-e-e-s-s-ss I-I-I kn-o-o-o-w-w…” She released his hoof and Landstrider's bouncing slowly returned back to normal. “Follow me and we’ll found you somethin’ to eat. And for you Big Mac, we’ll let Granny Smith patch you up.” “Eeyup!” Big Mac said longingly. His wounds really burned him in the sun heat. “GREAT!” Dash said with a big smile. As I thought, if Applejack just would give him a chance, everything will go fine. Landstrider reached for his package when he saw that Foxie looked expectantly at him. “It is alright now Foxie, they are going to give us something to eat." The fox was not facilitated by his master's words. His experience said that ponies that had attacked them were not to be trusted. He demonstrative sat down and looked away. Landstrider was not pleased with his fox reaction. "Foxie, you will come with me now! And you will behave, got that?” He looked more sternly at his pet. Foxie rolled his eyes and followed Landstrider, but he kept a good distance away from the red pony... After they had walked a bit, Applejack asked: “So tell me Landstrider, how did you end up in Ponyville?” Rainbow Dash's face brightened. “Yea, you promised to tell me that when we reached Applejack.” She looked expectantly at his new found friend. Landstrider smiled. “As I already have told you Rainbow Dash, I am an adventurer and I am always seeking for new experiences to make. For now, that journey takes me to Ponyville…” “Oh oh, like Daring Do?” The blue pegasus asked hyped. He made a short laugh. “Yes, but Daring Do’s adventures are a beautification compared to how it really is like to be an adventurer…” “But I still don’t get why you’re in Ponyville. There ain’t anythin’ interestin’ here, I can tell ya that!” “Do not say that! All villages and cities have something unik... Unique? Did I say that right? Anyway all villages and cities have something unique to it that is an adventure in itself. Despite, I am not here for the village.” AJ looked questioning at him. “Then what in tarnation are you here for?” “This is the village closest to the Everfree forest…” The orange mare winced. “The Everfree forest?? Don’t say you’re plannin’ on goin' in there are you??” She shivered from the bare sight of the dark woods covering the east side of Ponyville. In all her time in Ponyville, the Everfree Forest was the only place she didn't go into willingly. The Pegasus snorted at her cowardly friend. “Of course he is! There is no better place for adventures than the Everfree forest! There are Manticorns, and dragons, and Ursa Majors…” She imitated the creators as she named them. “…and most ponies that walk in there by themselves don’t come back!" Applejack raised an eyebrow to Landstrider. “Do not worry, I am not alone. Foxie here is the best companion there is!” His pet proudly stretched from the encouraging words. “With or without a companion, it's still as stupid as pickin' apples durin' winter times! Besides, if you're goin' in there just for fun you’ll get lost faster than a stone farmer in a fruit market.” The grey sighed. “I am not going in there just for fun.” He grabbed a book from one of his bags. “I am looking for a stone said to be hidden deep inside it.” he said and flipped up a page showing a ball-shaped stone like the ones Princess Luna had destroyed when she was Nightmare Moon. AJ inspected the image closer. “It looks pretty much like the elements of harmony before they were jewelries to me, what ya think Dashie?” Dash flew closer to the book. The illustration pictured a stone with some kind of symbol on it. The stones were definitely the same ones Luna had destroyed. It made her laugh. “Yes, it does! Sorry there tough guy, but I have already found them!” she stated cocky. “We found 'em,” Applejack sternly corrected. Dash just waggled away her words. “Yea yea whatever, the point is that you won’t find them anymore.” “No no, this is not the elements of harmony; I already know that they are in Celestias possession. I mean the stones of insight.” Landstrider pointed her hoof at the headline of the page. "Insight? I don’t like the sound of that…” the apple farmer said worried. “No one knows who made them, but there are six of them spread all around the world. It is said to make the wielder of the six stone's inner dreams come true.” The other ponies jumped back startled from the sudden sound of the book slammed closed. If Twilight had seen Landstrider's careless treatment of an old book like that, it would have made her cry. “But it is only a myth. I am only wants to find out if it is true or not!” He gave them an excited smile. “Inner dreams come true? That would be AWSOME” Rainbow Dash flew up high in the air. "Then I could finally join the Wonderbolts and be admired by whole Equestria! No, not only Equestria, I would be the best flyer in the whole world!" Dash found herself being pulled back to the ground by the orange mare. “I ain't so sure it’s really such a great idea findin' these ‘stones’. What if they’re put in the wrong hoofs?” The adventurer nodded understandingly. “Yes I know what you mean… but I do not think that is going to happen. As I said, they are scattered across the world, and in order to make them work, you have to…” The sight from a big red house made him completely lost himself. He gasped. “Landstrider, I welcome you to ‘Sweet Apple Acres'!” AJ said with a proud voice. The house reminded him of the old farm he used to work on back in Scardiva, only that this one was painted red, instead of green. He made a short giggle at the clever marketing sign on top of the house; it was impossible to mistake what was produced here. The barn next to the house on the other hoof looked very abandoned. He couldn't see any cattle in it either... “And next to it, you’ll see my friend Golden Harvests farm; she makes carrots as you might've figured.” Landstrider clearly saw what she meant. On another hill behind Sweet Apple Acres was another house, this one with a carrot symbol on top of it. “So Apples and Carrots is what this town produces?” he asked. “Not only. We might be a small town but we got everythin’ from fresh apples and carrots to fancy dresses and sweets stores.” The blue pony flew excited in front of Landstrider. “I know this place like my very own wings, I will give you a show you around after the pies!” she said and spread her wings out in demonstration. “I would be happy to! Is there a library in this town perhaps?” Dash rolled her eyes. “Yes there is but why do you want to go to there? That place is boring.” Before Landstrider had time to answer Applejack coughed for attention. “Let me introduce you to old Granny Smith, she’s the one makin’ the pies.” Around a white colored patio, an old green pony was sleeping in a rocking chair. The pony looked like she could crumble and die in any minute, but the large snoring proved otherwise. Landstrider couldn't figure out what made the loudest sound: the pony or the rocking chair. Applejack walked to the sleeping skeleton and poked her side. Butt nothing happened... “Up and at ‘em Granny Smith, we got guests.” Granny Smith only snored louder and continued sleeping. The mare shakes the elder a bit harder and tries again. “Granny Smith, we got guests, wake up!” ' Still no reaction... Applejack looked at the other ponies. “Excuse me,” she said and then turned back to the sleeping tomb. “WAKE UP GRANNY!” Granny jumped up from her chair. “Whit, what, who, why – “ “Granny, we got guests!” Granny looked confused around until her eyes fell on Landstrider and Rainbow Dash. “Oh but of course!” With a little trouble she managed to get up from the chair. “Hi there young fellow, I’m Granny Smith! What can I do for you?” Landstrider grabbed her hoof in greeting. “You can call me Landstrider, and this is Foxie.” He pointed at his fox. “It is nice to meet you Smith.” Granny examined the strange creature closer. Foxie recoiled from her smell and grimaced. “That was a very odd pet you got there.” Smith concluded. "I have seen some pretty strange things in my days, but this is not one of them..." “It is a Fox. It looks like nopony in Equestria have seen one, which is not so weird because they do not live here,” Landstrider explained again. It was not until now that Granny Smith noticed the grey pony's accent. “You got a very funny accent there Landstrider, could you perhaps tell me where you got it?” The traveler looked disappointed at the ground. “Yes I am from Scardiva...” Granny Smith widened her half-closed eyes. “Oh boy, oh boy…” she said and shook her head. “…Wise of you to leave that miserably place.” Applejack decided to interrupt. She didn't want the conversation to go down that road again. “Granny Smith, could you brin’ our guests here some apple pie? We’re starvin’.” The green pony lighted up. “Oh yes, oh yes, of course…” She slowly started walking towards the house. “It is nice to see that you take care of your old ones.” Landstrider said admiring. Applejack blushed. “Well, technically it’s still her farm…” The rainbow colored mane swung from side to side as Dash looked for her friend's little sister. “Hey Applejack, where is Applebloom? I bet she wants to meet Landstrider…” “No point in tryin' Rainbow, she's gone with Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo.” Dash nodded understanding. Yes, there really was no point in searching for the trio; they could be anywhere. Landstrider looked slightly puzzled. “Umm, sorry for asking, but…” “She’s my little sister. I’ll introduce her to ya whenever I can, but she's impossible to find these days…” He made a short chuckle. “Yes, fillies always got so much energy…” The smell of warm apples brought the ponies’ attention to the house. “Here’s the apple pie!” Smith stumbled towards the rest, carrying two apple pies stacked up a pile. Landstrider bit his lip for each time the old mare lost her balance, just to regain it the second after. After not having eaten anything in 3 days, the last thing he wanted was to see his dinner getting familiar with the ground... When the package finally arrived safely, they all placed themselves around the table. With a relieved sigh, Landstrider let his package fall off his back to the ground with a loud smack. Having carried that for weeks now was just... nasty. He got that relieved feeling when you are finally done with something that has been bothering you for weeks. He sank deeper into the wooden couch and exhaled merrily. He took a bite from that pie slice on his plate. If he had thought the apple had tasted good, it was nothing compared to the apple pie! Every bite was a new sensation for his mouth! The flavors perfectly complemented each other in a perfect mix, making every chew a new adventure! It was much sweeter than the Zeebras' food, but much crispier than the Centaurien pies. But then again, he might exaggerate it. Everything seemed to taste twice as good when you were hungry. Foxie got some apple pie too, although he ate it all in a matter of seconds. Under the meal, Landstrider talked more about his travels. He told them how he first had traveled south, away from his homeland and in to the endless jungles of the brutish apes. After several encounters and holdbacks, he had then finally pushed through the massive jungle and arrived to the Centaurs. The Centaurs were a much more civilized kind than the previous apes, and famous for their inventions and advanced technologies. After some more peaceful time with them, he had taken a ship west, where he had met the Zebras in the deserts south of Equestria. The Zebras where mystical beings, and he had several magical artifacts from that place. Despite them being unable to conjure magic, they still managed to find other ways to enchant their potions and tools. After that, he had traveled north and finally arrived here in Ponyville. He ended his story by showing Rainbow Dash the map he had promised to show her. “…and that is the easy way to explain how I got here,” he concluded. “Wow.” Rainbow gasped over how big Equestria was on the map. “And this isn’t even the whole world?” “Not even close…” “How lon' have you been travelin’ Landstrider? It most has taken’ quite some time to visit all those places of yours…” AJ asked. He thought about it for a brief second. “I would say… around five-six years perhaps,” he then noted. Big Mac was suddenly forced to recoil after being attacked by flying-chewed apple pie spitted out by her sister. “You’ve been without a home for aroun' five or six years?” the mare asked shocked. “Well, sometimes I stay in one place for a longer period of time if you could call that a 'home' or not... I would say five or six years since I started my journey would be a more correct conclusion.” “And you've not even once thought about settlin’ down somewhere? When ah was a filly, I traveled to Manehattan but ah got so homesick after only 2 weeks that ah almost puked!” Landstrider grabbed another slice from his pie. “Yes, sometimes I wish that I had a home to live in, it is true, but I never really felt that I belonged somewhere else than the open road…” “But what about the place you came from? You must have a home in Scardiva?” Dash asked. Landstrider went quiet. “No, I do not…” He eventually said. AJ tried to read the grey stallion's face. “There’s no filly without two parents, even ah know that! You must have a mom and dad that miss you somewhere, and that place most be your home. When was the last time you've seen 'em? Travelin’ aroun' like this most worry 'em sick.” Applejack immediately regretted her words when she saw that she had walked on a weak toe. The grey pony didn't answer, but instead stared aimlessly at his empty plate for a long time. When he finally spoke, his voice was depressingly muffled. “Yes, yes I have parents. Or had, is the correct word. A bandit group kidnapped them when I was a filly and sold them as slaves to the apes.” Landstrider felt tears pressing under his eye locks but it didn't matter. He was hardened; all the 'practice' he had done made him very good at holding tears back, especially in front of other ponies. "I have never seen them since…” He returned to observing his empty plate. “Oh…” Applejack looked around a bit uncomfortable for support, but all she got was a death glare from Rainbow Dash. She returned it with an 'I-didn't-mean-to' look. They all stayed quiet for a while, since all the words that came to the ponies minds would only make the situation more awkward. Eventually, Granny Smith's frail voice broke the silence. “I see that we all have eaten our pies.” She began gathering everypony's plates. In fact, Applejack and Granny Smith both had a piece of pie left, but they both just wanted to change the subject. “Granny Smith, you sure make the finest apple pies in all Equestria!” Ponyvilles best apple-bucker said with a nervous laugh. It seemed to have snapped Landstrider out from his plate. “Yes, you really are a master chef,” he complimented. “Oh you just sayin' that.” Granny Smith walked with the plates back into the house, making Landstrider again bite his lips from the many close calls of broken porcelain. Dash sprung up excited. She had been sitting idle for way too long than the fastest flyer in Equestria should be sitting. “Want me to show you the town now?” she asked Landstrider energetic. Landstrider wiped his mouth clean with a nearby tissue. “Well, I did promise Applejack I would work on her farm to compensate the apple pies…” “Oh schooch, you can do it tomorrow, there’s just one cart left for the day anyway,” Applejack said with a smile. The grey pony nodded as thanks. “Good, let’s go then!” Rainbow Dash flew quickly down the hill. Landstrider began to re-saddle up his things again. “You are not coming?” He asked the orange pony. “As much as I want to, I just can’t let Big Mac do the entire last work just by himself, especially not with his back and all.... But I'll catch up later, promise.” The mare blinked. “Okay, it was nice to meet you both and sorry about your back, Big Mac.” The red stallion smiled. “No problem.” “It was a pleasure meetin’ you too Landstrider, hope I'll get to know you better before you leave.” She lifts her hat as a goodbye, and the traveler returned the gesture. "We sure will!" “Are you coming or what!?” Dash was already half way down the hill. “Yes I am coming!” Landstrider turned around and followed the pegasus down the hill. “Come now Foxie, it’s time to leave.” Foxie had fallen asleep but woke up upon hearing his name. He stretched satisfied and jumped after his master. Landstrider adjusted his hat. “This might not be such a bad day after all.” he said to himself as he saw the sun slowly turn the day to evening… <2 months earlier> “Again, you made a good job today Deathoak.” The golden eyed sat, with a pipe in his mouth, on one of the fallen rebel soldiers Deathoak had slain. The fog was starting to clear up and the sticking smell of ashes made Deathoak cough. He still hadn’t got the honor of knowing the golden eyed's name, so he had continued to call him just that: ‘The golden eyed’. “Thank you sir.” The black unicorn panted tired. He was still not a part of the circle. The golden eyed had told him that nopony passes the test of loyalty over a night, but he was under a trial. This meant that he received missions from them but nothing of great importance. So far, they had given him three missions, and all of them involved killing rebels. He wasn't disappointed with this at all; he actually thought it was perfect! For everypony he killed, he grew slightly stronger. As he had thought, joining the Dark Knifes would give him just as many ponies he wanted to ‘grow’ on. Deathoak took a seat on a dead pony in front of the golden eyed. “You have actually performed so well that Lord Steelsaxe himself has asked to meet us personally.” Deathoak's jaw fell open. Nero Steelaxe was the leader of the mightiest clan in Scardiva, and he was the lord the circle served. All lords had their own group of assassins, but none of them was as feared as the Dark Knifes. “W-what an honor…” he staggered. The golden eyed gave his pipe some silent puffs without expressing any emotions or reaction. “We also think it is time to tell you more about the members of the circle…” he said quietly. The unicorn stood up surprised. “So you mean I’m in?” he gasped. The golden eyed gave him a piercing glare from under his cloak. “Oh right, not showing feelings…” He sat down quietly again. “You still have much to learn before we accept you as a member of the circle.” He made some more puffs before continuing. “But you are young, and you are making good progress… consider this as a huge step closer to becoming a member of de mörka knivarna.” Deathoak struggled to not express his joy. “T-thank you, sir!” The golden eyed gazed over the battlefield. Hundreds of bodies were scattered across it, and some of Steelaxe’s ponies were gathering their fallen comrades to bury them in a big mass grave. It was not a funeral a soldier has in mind when marching to battle, but it was the funeral a warrior gets after being pierced by a spear. The sight was not a memory the survivors will share with their friends the day after. It was a sight of chaos. It had been a bloody, but one-sided, battle. A very, very one-sided battle... The golden eyed rose up from his seat and started to walk away from the scene. “You can call me Shadowblade from now on…” he said and beckoned the unicorn to follow him. Five ponies plus Deathoak was gathered in a small room inside the Castle of Boslo, Scardiva's capital. It was very dark and the only light source came from two small windows high up near the ceiling. You could almost taste the dust in the air, and a weak scent of rotten wood struck through everypony who inhaled it. The cloaked five had their eyes fixed on Deathoak. This was a big step towards becoming one of them, and getting to know their names was considered almost a spiritual ritual. There was something magical about this place, Deathoak noted. Something dark and twisted filled these walls with something very, very magical. He could feel it. The silent was heavy, and when the golden eyed, the person Deathoak had learned to know as “Shadowblade”, stood forward, his steps echoed slightly. “We are in a secret chamber inside Boslo's castle… This place has been under the circles possession ever since it was built, and few ponies outside of it even know about its existence.” He made a short pause. “We are soon going to meet Nero Steelaxe himself in the throne hall. He has never asked to talk to all of us at once, so it is probably of great importance.” He gave Deathoak a serious look. “But before we go, I have decided to introduce Deathoak to the circle. Whatever mission this is we must accomplish it, and Deathoak is going with us.” There other four ponies remained silent and sucked up every word from their leader. Deathoak couldn’t see any of their faces through their hoods, and all the mystery was killing him. In a matter of fact; this was the second time he actually saw them all together in one place. It had always been Shadowblade, and Shadowblade alone, that had contacted him and given him orders. The others were only there at his first test... “You all have met Deathoak before, and you all have also seen what he can do, so I won’t go into details of that. Let us get this over with instead.” He waved to the first pony in the line to step forward. He was the largest one of them, and a huge mace was fixed on his back. With heavy steps that somehow was almost silent, he placed himself some meters in front of Deathoak. “This is Smacher,” Shadowblade presented. “Nice meet.” the mountain-large pony said with a heavy voice. Deathoak could see that his face was, just like Shadowblade's, filled with scars. What could they possibly do to get such vandalized faces? “He does not talk Equestrian so well. His ability is strength, and don’t get fooled by his appearance: He is just as smart as the rest of us.” “I easy smash down wall.” Smacher said and hit himself hard on the chest. Note to self: don’t get to close to those hoofs. The pony returned to the line and Shadowblade continued. “Next pony is Faceless.” A mare gracefully stepped forward. “It’s a pleasure, to see a young potential such as yourself, soon joining our group,” she said with an elegant voice. Deathoak sighed relieved. At least her face wasn't scared. “She is a master of disguise,” Shadowblade explained, but immediately got an angry gaze from Faceless. “And style, Shadowblade, don’t forget style!” Shadowblade sighed heavy. “Yes, and style…” he said nonchalant. The black unicorn did everything in his power to suppress a laughter building up inside of him. This was the first time he actually saw Shadowblade express a feeling that open. What could possible make him show an emotion so clearly? Then, he swallowed. Perhaps there is more between those two than the eyes could see... “Next is Thunderbolt.” Before Deathoak could blink, a mare stood in front of him and shook his hoof violently in greeting. “Hi there, welcome to Mörka knivarna! I am Thunderbolt! Nice work with the test of ability, I could not have done it better myself.” It took a second for Deathoak to catch what just happened, and before he could answer, Thunderbolt was already back in the line. “She is the newest and youngest member of our group. She is the fastest pony in Scardiva.” “I am quite certain that I am fastest in the world as well,” the young Earth pony said with a boastful voice. Shadowblade gave him a deadly glare. “She, as well as you Deathoak, needs to learn discipline!” Is... Is Lightningbolt even younger than me? The black unicorn thought. I guess talent beats age... “And last pony, we have Silent.” The last pony in the group was leaning against a pillar and didn’t do anything at all to greet or acknowledge Deathoak. He simply ignored him. Deathoak didn’t like to be ignored. “He has no tongue, so he cannot utter a single sound, making him the perfect pony for stealth operations. No pony knows his real name so we just call him Silent.” Silent continued to glare angry into the shadows. That explains a lot, Deathoak thought and didn’t pay more attention to the mysterious pony in the background. “Now when you know who we all are…” “But darling, you forgot to introduce yourself!” Faceless said with a humoristic tune. Deathoak could have sworn that he saw Shadowblade roll his eyes under the hood. “Right… As you already know, my name is Shadowblade, and I am the leader of the group. I am its head, and its tongue. Any questions?” Deathoak shock his head. “No, when are we supposed to meet Steelaxe?” Shadowblade looked back at his members. “He is waiting for us right now…” he said and led them all out of the room. Even though Boslo's throne hall was enormous, it was still nothing compared to Princess Celestia's in Canterlot. Despite that, it was a marvelous sight. The massive windows reflected the lights of the big chandeliers burning in the ceiling, filling up the long hallway with all the colors of the spectrum. They were walking on a big red carpet, and heavily armed guards stationed along it watched their every moment as they slowly approached Steelaxe. There was no music, no celebration committee and no talking. There was only a complete silence. On a high throne decorated with all sorts of jewelry sat the character Deathoak assumed to be Steelaxe. He was dressed in a large, red mantle and he wore a tiny crown on his head. His coat was grey as the rest of the Scardivarian ponies, and Deathoak could see on the king's troubled face that his mind was filled with thoughts. Two extra large guards stood on each side of him, looking even more fearsome than Smacher was. “And remember, no one utters a single word, unless I say anything else. Not a bucking word!” Shadowblade whispered to the group without looking at them. He got no response. Perfect! Nothing would go wrong now, he thought. Nothing! And he would assure it! Deathoak looked at the other members of the circle. He had been told that only Shadowblade had met the king personally before. Faceless correct her hood for the fifth time since they had entered the throne hall and Smacher unsuccessfully tried to whip away a dirty spot from his robe. Thunderbolt was like a filly in a candy store. She gave an object a glance before looking at the next in excitement. Only Deathoak, Shadowblade and Silent lived up to their reputation as coldblooded killers, as they with ice-cold glares, walked slowly towards the throne. Deathoak could sense the fear from the soldiers around him. They were good at hiding it, but he was too familiar with fear to see through their plastic faces. They all feared them. He could almost hear the silent relief every soldier let out as they passed them. It made him instinct thrilled. Like when an author writes down the last few words before being done with a long book, their fears reminded him of the seconds before he performed his 'art'. The lord on the throne snapped out from his thoughts and looked at the approaching ponies with a troubled gaze. “Feel welcomed, members of the Dark Knifes!” he said in Scardivariska. Deathoak made a silent curse. He wouldn’t be able to understand a single word of their dialogue now! He should really try to learn Scardivariska... “We are honored,” Shadowblade replied. He bowed deeply and the rest of the circle instantly mimicked him. “Good job dealing with the Boneleg rebellion, I got reports that your work almost killed their entire army in a matter of minutes!” Steelaxe said impressed. “We only did as you commanded, sire.” The king smiled. “With Boneleg out of the picture, there’s only Moonshade and Landstrider left opposing me." He took a drink from a glass that was next to the throne. "The eight clans have agreed to proclaim me as the high king tomorrow morning, and with that, Scardiva will finally be united under one, strong ruler once more! The prophecy will be fulfilled!” The king gazed proudly at the big painting over the main entrance. It represented an old portrait of Scardivara Stonehoof, sitting on the very same throne himself were on right now. Despite the many years that had passed since Stonehoof's rule, the throne were still as magnificent as it had been when the portrait had been painted. The old king on the potrait looked just as determent as he was right now. Patriotism warmed Steelaxe's heart and he grinned. It was the founder of Scardiva he was looking at. Not any ruler or anypony, it was the founder of the land he would soon to dominate. Stonehoof had started it all, he had continued it. He knew his ancestor would be proud of him. Ff not, he would make damn sure of it! The time had come for Scardiva to prosper once more, and he was the pony to do it! Yes, he would make one last favor for the long dead pony. He was the wise ruler the prophecy was talking about, he just knew it! Shadowblade's muffled voice disturbed his thoughts. “Excellent, my Lord. Is it because of Moonshade and Landstrider you have summoned us?” The king shock his head. “No, no, no. Moonshade and Landstrider don’t pose any real threat anymore, or at least not after I have been crowned high king.” Steelaxe signaled to a servant which immediately began to gallop towards a small door alongside one of the hall walls. “The reason why I called for the circle personally is of much greater importance…” The servant returned, dragging a cart behind him. The cart was covered with a white blanket, and you could discern something round-shaped beneath it. “For generations, my family has collected ancient artifacts from all around the world. Some of them are priceless; others have more of a historical value, and some… have practical usage.” He waved the servant away and rose up from his throne. “I want you to travel to Equestria, and find a stone that looks like one these.” He ripped off the white blanked and revealed five stone spheres, all with a different symbol carved on them. Deathoak recognized them immediately. “How did you found five of the stones of insight?? It is impossible!” He bit his lips right after shouting those words and remembered what Shadowblade had told him. The reaction was almost instant. The hall began to echo the sound of metal as Deathoak was suddenly surrounded with spear heads and sword points. In normal cases, the guards would already have killed him by now, but this was far from a normal case. This time, it was the guards that feared to be killed if they came to close... Shadowblade gave Deathoak a glance that could kill. No I mean it: you better start digging your own grave if you ever get such a look from anypony. Faceless gave him a shocked look and Lightingbolt facepalmed. Silent was observing the guards closely, ready with a hoof on his blade if anything would happen. Smacher growled angry at the situation the Unicorn had put them into. Steelaxe gave Shadowblade a bored look. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t let the guards kill him right there on the spot?” He asked with a snobbish attitude. Shadowblade knew better than apologizing rudeness in front of a king. Only the gems value stops the dragon from eating all gems at once... “Because he is from Equestria and he knew the area better than anyone of us.” He feared that reason wasn't enough for the king's ears, he would have to try fear as well. “Plus I don’t think all the soldiers in this room would be enough to kill him. He can -” Steelaxe signaled him to be silent and shock his head. “I'm not questioning him Shadowblade; I'm questioning you. How can your dignity sunk so low that you would let an Equestrian pony into the sacred circle of the dark knifes? What is next? A Pegasus?” “Sire, I thought the same thing but then I saw what he could do. If we ever going to invade Equestria that are filled with Unicorns like him, we cannot rely only on our brave Earth ponies. Unicorns with magic are a too great asset to ignore. If we don’t have at least one magical creature with us, we are chanceless.” The king gave Shadowblade's speech a long thought. If it was something he had learned while sitting on the throne was to think before you act. Deathoak's horn glowed prepared. The uncomfortable silent after Shadowblades last words in addition to several spears pointing at him was not something he preferred. If he only could understand what they were saying... “I guess you're right,” The grey king eventually concluded. He signed his soldiers to lower their weapons, which they gladly did. “Thinking in the old ways will make us repeat the same mistake twice. We must be new, and innovative for progress!” “Well spoken, my Lord.” Shadowblade made a quick bow. He knew that Deathoak had been forgiven, but it had been a close call. Once again, his clever mind had outsmarted another situation with his king... The black unicorn slightly relaxed when the guards sheeted their weapons. Whatever Shadowblade had said, it seemed to have worked. But he knew it wasn't over yet. Shadowblade would probably be furious at him afterwards. He hoped that this wouldn't mean he had failed the test of loyalty... “Very well, you know your mission. My researchers have tracked the last piece of artifact inside a temple called Sheolx. The temple is located in a forest called 'The Everfree Forest', and beware! The Temple is said to contain some kind of traps to keep intruders out…” “We will keep this in mind, my lord!” The king was pleased with the answer. “And one more thing: This mission is top secret! Don’t let anypony know why you are searching for the stones. It might ruin the entire future of Scardiva…” “Right sire, we will be as silent as a ghost!” Steelaxe nodded. “Leave as fast as you can. I will assist you with a servant that will bring you everything you need for the journey. Gallop with speed and may the ancestors be with you!” “Thank you, your highness!” Shadowblade made a deep bow and again, the rest mimicked. But before they turned around to leave, Steelaxe stopped him. "And Shadowblade... Slientsword turned back to his ruler. Yes, sire? Keep an eye on that Equestrian Unicorn... Deathoak shoved a snowflake away from his snout and turned around in his sleeping bag. He couldn't say he wasn't used to sleeping outdoors, but it was not really something he preferred to do in a snowy evening like this. Thankfully, the campfire didn't quenched by the snow, and it was a very much needed warm source. He shivered again. Silent and Shadowblade had the first nightshift, and he was next up with Lightningbolt. He was exhausted, but he still couldn't sleep. There was too much on his mind that prevented him from sleeping. One week had passed since the meeting with Steelaxe, and Shadowblade hadn't even mentioned his outburst in the court. Was he looking between his hoofs? Didn't Shadowblade cared that he had ignored his order and put them all in danger? Maybe the assassin's mind was too busy about their mission that he had forgot about Deathoak... When it comes to the mission, he felt extremely lucky that it was located in the Everfree forest. Having his first real mission in almost familiar areas was exactly what he wanted. Back when he was in prison, he had read a lot about the Everfree Forest. The mystery and darkness inside it had appealed his interest in it and his research sure would come to good use! Maybe they would even let him join the circle after the mission if he made a really good job! But then again: The stones of insight?? And the ruler of Scardiva possessed five of them?! How did he even get hold of such powerful tools? Deathoak remember what he had read back in Celestia's magic school. Six stones in total... Each symbolizing some kind of trait... Why it did was still a mystery... When having all six gathered in front of the creator of the stones, your inner wishes would come true... But who was the creator? The stones are almost as old as the princesses themselves, the creator would probably be long dead by now, didn't Steelaxe know this? Maybe he only wanted them to have a full set of ancient artifacts... Like a collector or something like that. Or maybe he had figured out how to use them without the guidance of the creator? Maybe I could figure it out? Deathoak thought. Then my inner dreams will come true, and Celestia would finally die from my hoofs! My name would be remembered forever! Were the stones so powerful that it could make it happen? Maybe he should betray the Dark Knifes and steal the stones for himself... He smiled and curled up tighter in the sleeping bag. No, he shouldn't. What was the fun in letting the stone do all the work? He was an artist after all, not a butcher. The honor of killing Celestia should be his, and none others! The Dark knifes was helping him reach that goal, not doing it for him! Eventually, he fell asleep... -- An immense pain in his left cheek woke him up and he screamed. He reflexively covered the pain with his hoof, making him realize he was bleeding! He rose up from the bed and his heart made a double jump from the 5 pair of eyes looking at him in the darkness of the night. He could see from the light of the fire that Shadowblade was holding a large knife in one of his hoofs. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was dropping from it... “Every time you disobey a direct order from me, you will get punished. Remember that Deathoak...” The golden eyed began drying of the knife. “Lightningbolt and Deathoak takes the next nightshift, the rest of you get some sleep.” The ponies began to return to their sleeping bag like nothing had happened. Deathoak felt the sticky substance slowly stream down his cheek. He looked at his hoof. It was soaked with blood, and it wasn't somepony's else blood. It was his own! He did not try to join the circle to put up with this! He felt his anger boil up inside of him. He began to pant heavily. He started to lose control of himself. He felt the artistic mind slowly being pushed aside for his other half... His more powerful half... The half that had given him his Cutie Mark in the first place! The half that had killed his family... He started to conjure energy to strike Shadowblade with a lightning bolt. Who did they think they are to humiliate him like this? He was the most powerful of them anyway, he didn’t need them! They were better of as energy into his body. The stones were always there, he could always find another way to finish Celestia off without them! They were just pawns in his master plan, and he could sacrifice them whenever he wanted to! He was the king, not them, not Steelaxe! It was they who needed punishment! Before he had gathered enough energy, he felt something sharp pointing against his throat. He lost his concentration of the spell. He knew very well what that sharp thing was... Silent slowly walked in sight of him. Deathoak snorted like a bull and looked angry into Silent's green eyes. Suddenly, he gasped. Silent was speaking to him. “I’m watching you,” he said. Not with his mouth or tongue, but with his eyes! His eyes were talking to Deathoak! H-how was that even possible? Dethoak thought. His anger quickly washed away and was instead replaced with a feeling he hadn't felt in years: fear. Those eyes... It was like they penetrated his mind... Everything ceased to exist. The pain from his cheek, the cold winds, the dark skies, it all disappeared. The only thing that seemed to remain was Silent's eyes. "Don't try anything," they said. Deathoak felt like passing out. His thoughts were more and more widespread, and he could not really grasp one for longer than some seconds. W-what is happening to me? Am I dying? Is this like dying? W-what is happening to me? His brain went through the same thought over and over again, like it had forget it just had thought the same sentence for only a couple of seconds ago. There was something else than the eyes. A fade voice somewhere, like a scream from a faraway place: “What are you doing Silent? Leave him be, he already had his punishment!” Suddenly, everything returned back to him in a second. The pain in the cheek, the light from the fire, the cold winds... The shock made him collapse to the ground. “Easy there Silent, you can go back to sleep now. I and Deathoak have this nightshift.” Silent sheathed his knife and gave Lightningbolt a dark glimpse before returning to his own sleeping back. Deathoak panted heavily. His heart was pounding hard and his thoughts slowly returned to what they used to be. It was magic, it has to be magic! How can an Earth pony like Silent use magic? “He is quite creepy, is not he?” Deathoak snapped out from his thoughts and saw Lightningbolt sit next to him. She had removed her hood, and her long, fire red mane flapped widely in the strong winds. He nodded discrete in return. “And do not take that too personally.” She pointed at Deathoaks cheek. “You did not think joining the circle would be a dance on roses, did you?” She showed Deathoak four scars on her right cheek. “These things happen,” She said carelessly and smiled. Deathoak started to relax a bit. "But why doesn't Faceless have any scars if the rest of us have? She wasn't the one dealing them out either and she cannot have been perfect every time...“ The mentioning of the scar made him reflexively put his hoof at the wound again. It had dried now. "She is the master of disguise, remember? It would pretty much ruin her usage if she could be recognized with some strange scars to her face would not she?" Her bad grammar made Deathoak slightly annoyed. "So she doesn't get punished?" "Oh, she gets punished alright, but no one knows how. Sometimes, she just disappears and when she comes back, she is white as a chicken but quiet as... as Silent." Lightningbolt giggled at her metaphor. "I see..." Deathoak turned away silent. He wondered what Shadowblade could come up with to punish Faceless without leaving any marks... Well, any physical marks that is... The red maned pony sprung up in front of Deathoak again. "Anyway, why did you want to join the Mörka Knivarna?” she asked lightly. Deathoak was caught off guard. “Umm, well, umm…” The young mare looked skeptical at him. “I know you want Celestia dead and all but there must be a reason for it! I mean, you are from Equestria after all! Why do you want your leader dead so terribly bad? Do not you have any patriotism?” Without knowing it, Lightningbolt had walked on a weak toe. The unicorn looked away to prevent himself from showing any emotions with his face. He started to remember again... His flashbacks still haunted his dreams, and he made everything to not think about them during awake time. But sometimes, it was inevitable... The black stallion made a large white line right cross four others with his chalk. That made it 1825 lines in total... 1825 days... Five years... Or at least since he started to count. Five years in a tiny cell... He sat down on his hay spot and tried to think about something else. The smell of the "piss corner" filled up his mind, but he pushed the thoughts away. He didn't feel like thinking of pony byproducts. He started mapping his cell instead. Of course, he had done it thousands of times already, but it didn't stop him from doing it again. The were four corners in his narrow cell and all had their own purpose. There was the "sleeping corner", which he was in now. It contained a pile of old, inedible hay, stacked up to a "bed". It gave around as much comfort as the hard floor itself. There was the "piss corner". Well, it was simply a bucket were you... you know... There was the food corner. It was the corner closest to the door where the guards would give him water and food. They exchanged "piss buckets" one time per day from there too. And at last, there was the light corner. Princess Celestia had, "in her mercy" given him a magical lamp that never faded, so he at least didn't have to live the rest of his life in complete darkness. How the lamp worked was still a mystery to him, but it provided with enough light for somepony to read in. And Celestia had allowed him to read. And that was almost the only thing he did all day long: read. After five years with nothing to do, you start to read. And read and read and read. It was simply the only productive thing he could do down here: read. At least he was provided with the books he wanted. The only two exceptions were books about the prison itself and dark magic. But books about magic in general were allowed, so he could at least continue his studies! But then again: what's the use with magic theory when he wasn't allowed to use it in practice. The castle had some kind of ancient spell that somehow suppressed magic. The only thing Deathoak ever had been able to produce was a short black spark, and he had been really angry that time. How the hay did that lamp work?? Never mind. He had tried to figure that out ever since he got it. There were no use, it was a mystery... He started to examine his cutie mark again. The white skull mocked him from his black fur. He could still remember the first day he got it. It had been the worst day of his life. Curse Celestia! Curse her to oblivion! Did she really think he wanted his own parents dead?! Did she really believe that he liked killing ponies just because it was his cutie mark? Celestia had talked to him when she visited her own school for buck sake! A filly doesn’t choose what his special talent in life is, and just because his happened to be killing doesn't mean that he wanted to kill! But his reasoning had fallen on deaf ears in the court trial. Yes, it was true that he had killed his parents but it was an accident! Every Unicorn loses control of their power sometimes, what filly in their right mind want to kill his own parents!? But Celestia hadn't listened. Despite she knew who he was and despite that she knew he would never do something like that on purpose, he had been sent to jail. He hated Celestia. He hated his cutie mark. He hated to be a unicorn. He looked back at his cutie mark for a second time that day. The white skull was still there, nothing had changed. It looked at him with its deep, black holes for eyes. It would be on his flank forever… It didn’t matter if he would get out from here or not. What would the world outside think of him when he showed up with a skull on his flank? He could imagine the job interviews. “Hi, my name Deathoak and my special talent is killing ponies!” No, it really didn’t matter if he got out or not. Or well, yes, there would perhaps be some kind soul out there willing to lend him a job, but would that really matter? He could learn to be good at something but never truly master it. There would always be somepony else with the right cutie mark that would best him at it, no matter what it was. He would always be an average, always arrive at second place. Never would he be appreciated or admired, he was cursed to be forever mediocrity. Even when it came to magic, he had always been the second best in his class! He remembered the late nights he spend on studying to be a step ahead of the class, only to be out shinned by the Celestia-flank-licker-Twilight. She made it look so easy! He was nothing. Whatever he would manage in his life, it would never stand the test of time. Somepony would always be better than him, always! Except when it came to killing… Maybe he was meant to kill all along? He rose up from this enlightenment; what IF his purpose in life was killing? What if all the ‘accidents’ he had caused was no accidents at all, but strikes from his under-stimulated mind? Like a painter gain inspiration suddenly, maybe he got his ‘inspiration’ just as suddenly? “There is an art in everything, even in painting rocks.” His teacher had once said to the class. “And if it isn’t considered art yet, make it an art.” Yes, Mr. Poemwriter’s words rang loudly in his ears. It all made so much sense to him! Just as somepony felt like baking for no particularly reason, he had killed all those animals when he was a filly because something inside of him felt like doing it! Of course he had earned his cutie mark when he had killed his family: it was the first time he actually had killed a pony! In all his life, he had run away from his ability, but a pony's destiny could not be avoided forever! Celestia hadn’t locked him up because of what he had done. She had locked him up because of what he could do! Celestia feared him. He cleared his throat. "If my talent really defines who I am, then may so be it!" He then shouted out loudly to the lonely shadows. "If my ambitions can’t make me famous, I shall be infamous! Yes, I shall be the most feared pony in the entire world! My name will live forever, as my art will be spoken in generations to come! Mark my words!" The echoes from his own voice made him for a short second think he had completely lost his mind. Maybe it was true, but the cold cells answer was the only answer he needed. He was no longer Deathoak the prisoner, he was Deathoak the artist. And as every artist had a masterpiece, his masterpiece would be Princess Celestia herself! He would be feared, and for the next thousand years that would come, his name would be whispered in dark alleys and sad songs. They would sing of the pony that ended the millennia of harmony and peace. Yes, this was truly his call in life. He could feel it inside of him. This was what he was born to do, and his first triumph would be to escape from this cell! He leaned up against the wall to inspect the magical lamp closer. There must be something he had missed, a detail so small and hidden that a normal pony wouldn't find it. If it could use magic in this cell, he could too… “She…She sent me to prison…” he eventually said. “Cool! What for?” “Um…” “Oh come one! Do not be shy! Tell me what you did to be personally sent to prison by a princess! Something nasty I hope…” Deathoak didn't know how to response to the young mares interest in him. It was not like he was used to chit-chat... “I killed my parents…” he eventually said. The smile on Lightningbolt's face turned to a wide grin instead. “Woaw, that’s awesome! Was it your first kill?” A grumpy voice interrupted the conversation. “Shut up already, some of us are trying to sleep here!” Smachy said from across the camp. Lightningbolt rolled her eyes but lowered his voice. “Well, was it?” The Unicorn made a short nod. “Yes… It was… Well, if you don’t count birds and other small animals…” “No, they do not count! My first kill were some bandits. They had killed my brother but I hunted them down! All except one...” She went quiet for awhile. “You think that is how Shadowblade got his scars?” Deathoak asked. Lightningbolt twitched. “Huh? Oh, you mean the punishment? Yea, sure, why not.” The mare made a short laugh. “I never really thought about it! I wonder how long he has been in charge of the order…” “Is there more than just us in the circle?” “Just us. For some hundreds of years ago, we were more, but now it is just we six that remain.” “Well, you five, I’m not a part yet.” “Nah, it is only a matter of time. They are a little bit suspicious because you are not from Scardiva, that is all.” Deathoak gave Lightningbolt a warm smile. In his life in Canterlot, he had never talked to ponies in his own age. Well, he had tried once back in magic kindergarten, but no one wanted to hang out with him. Well, not after he had accidently killed somepony's pet cat that is... That was why he had thought in advance that everypony in 'Celestia's school of talented Unicorns' would be just as afraid of him as the rest, and did not even try to befriend somepony. He was later known as 'the pony studying under the large tree', by the other unicorns, and nopony had ever cared to talk to him. But Lightningbolt was talking to him! Her voice was not filled with suspiciously or fear, rather the opposite: she found him cool! Deathaok talked more about Equestria for Lightningbolt, about his escape from the prison and what he know about the stones of insight. She responded by teaching him some simple phrases in Scardivariska. After a lot of failed tries and laughter, Deathoak finally mastered "Min panna ser ut som en manlig könsdel.", which apperantly meant "I am a cool black Unicorn!" in Scardivariska, but he wasn't sure if that was true... Lightningbolt was no longer just a simple companion to Deathoak anymore: she was his friend. He had never had a friend before...
Chapter 3- The stones of insightRainbow Dash quickly flew between the buildings as he introduced them to Landstrider. “…And here’s the town hall! And oh look, here’s Sugar cube corner, they makes awesome pastry, and here is the School yard…” All houses looked different; there weren’t two buildings alike in the whole village. Landstrider tried to memorize as much places as he could but with Rainbow Dash pace, it was hard. Foxie walked closer to Landstrider. He had never liked crowded places. There were too much tight spaces and too little open areas for his taste. Landstrider on the other hand found the Ponyville tour quite enjoyable. It was like every corner had something special to it. Ponyville was not as sophisticated village as the Centaurion villages but not as simple as the Zebra towns. He liked that. Ponyville had one thing in common with other villages in Equestria: all houses were only big enough for one family. Another thing similar to other villages was the huge variation in stores and culture buildings. Just as Applejack had said, Ponyville had a lot of different businesses going on for being a small village. As they walked through the town, everypony they passed gave the moving pile of package a long lock. Landstrider was used to stand out, but he never had liked it… Other than that, Ponville seemed like a friendly town. All ponies greeted Rainbow Dash when they saw her and there was a generally happy feeling in the atmosphere. Happiness might seem like a ridicules thing to notice but smiling was a very rare thing in bigger cities. The stress in larger settlements often gave ponies a more troubled look when they were out on the streets. Another strange thing Landstrider noticed was that the big variation of Pegasi and Unicorns. Earth ponies used to be the dominant population in villages like these and Unicorns was the major one in cities. When it came to Pegasi, Landstrider had no idea where they lived. The only time he ever saw a Pegasus show up was during the days, and they disappeared as the evening approach. Here in this village, there were almost equally many Earth ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi, despite it was late afternoon! “Rainbow Dash, can I ask you something?” Landstrider screamed to his guide. “…And here is– Oh, of course!” The blue mare quickly flew away from a green house, into a more ‘conversation-friendly' distance with her friend. It made Landstrider blink from the sudden wind the pegasus had brought with her from her fast approach. “Does all the Pegasuses in Equestria live here? I have never seen so many Pegasi in one place before...” He looked around again and saw several Pegasi walking out from one of the shops into another. So many Pegasi... "Haha, very funny Landstrider, very funny!" Dash laughed a little bit effortless like she had just been the victim from one of Pinkie's pranks. When she realized that he wasn't joking at all, he gave him a shocked look. "Don't tell me you were actually serious??" A little bit unease, he scrapped the ground with his hoof. "Well, um..." "HAHAHAHAHA!" Landstrider stumbled from the sudden slam on the back from the laughing Pegasus. "You thought... You actually thought that..." She could barely levitate from the wildly snickering. Without noticing it, Dash was attracting even more attention to Landstrider with her loudly laughing. The grey pony felt their questioning stares burn his neck and Foxie hide behind his legs. Landstrider was a stallion that had learned to always make the best out of every situation, and he couldn't find anything better to do but to laugh nervously with Rainbow. He could hear the crowd mumbling what the fuzz was all about. After a couple of awkward seconds, the laughing wheatear patroller eventually recovered. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" she said somewhat stuttering. "What in Equestria makes you think that ALL pegasi lived in Ponyville??" Landstrider could hear the mumbling go louder from behind him. "Well, as I said..." he tried to talk as quietly as possible to make the large crowd lose interest in him. "I have never seen so many Pegasi in one place before. In all the other cities, they barely seem to exist and the few I see are often gone before afternoon. It is almost evening now so it confounded me!" His plan seemed to work, but not the way he had intended it to work. "How can somepony NOT know where Pegasi lives?" "Was he raised in a cave or something?" "I'm sure that this is just one of Rainbow Dash's 'practical jokes', although I do admit he looks a little bit... Daft, don't you think?" The ponies around them started to scatter, but the damage was already done. Their muffling had somewhat hurt him, but he was used to be the ''uncivilized' ' pony wherever he came. Being raised on a farm, parentless from fillyhood, and on the travelling road since didn't exactly contribute to becoming 'sophisticated'. He tried to look on the bright side. Entering Ponyville must have been one of the top five most eventful things that had ever done, he thought. Scaring a pony to death, meeting a sport celebrity (well, he thought Rainbow Dash was a celebrity), being attacked by a red mountain, being accused of stealing, eating one of the most amazing food he had ever tasted, being the laughing stock of the town... Well, I still need a dragon, a surprise party and a crazy time-travelling pony, before this village tops the 'most craziest town in the world' list, He said ironically to himself. Dash voice interrupted his thoughts. "But duh!" she answered his question with her eyes rolling sarcastically. "Of course they disappear before the sundown, why would they want to fly home in the dark?" She said it like it was the clearest thing in the world. For Landstrider, it wasn't. "But where do they go then? And are not you worried about 'flying home in the dark'?" he asked with a little bit more self-confidence now when the crowd was gone. "They fly home of course!" She snorted. "And I don't live up in the sky but in a cloudhouse near Ponyville, it is much closer to work that way. After all, I am in charge of Ponyville's weather!" The last word came out more as a boasting than information. "D-did you say in the sky??" The Earth pony took a step backwards. "Yes of course! Well, there is some few Pegasi that lives on the ground but it is totally boring! Up in the sky, you have so much more awesome freedom!" She made a couple of spins to demonstrate what she meant. When she saw that Landstrider looked even more puzzled than before, she stopped flying around. "You don't know much about Pegasi, do you?" "Hehe, well not really, you see: There are no Pegasi where I am from, and I have barely met a Pegasus before..." he said a bit nervously. The blue mare gasped. "There are no Pegasuses at all in Scardiva??" But then, Dash remembered what Applejack had told her about Scardiva, that it had been founded by a group of Earth ponies, and Earth ponies alone. But two Earth ponies could get a Pegasus baby as well, the Cake couple had had it, and Dash remembered a Pegasus couple back in Cloudsdale that had got a Unicorn for a baby. "Not a single Pegasus and very few Unicorns!" Landstrider commented. Dash told him what was on her mind: “But isn’t there even one Pegasus in entire Scardiva? I mean, two Earth ponies can have a Pegasus filly as well as a Unicorn filly, it happens all the time in Ponyville.” Well, all the time was to exaggerate it but it did happen, and that was the point. -- "Is-is that what I think it is?" Landstrider heard himself ask his parents. They didn't answer. The newborn thing continued to scream loudly on the tiny haystack... -- The Scardivarian winced uncomfortably. “Well, um… It is true but, um…” Dash looked puzzled at him. Is he sweating? He definitely looks startled... -- The constant panting from her exhausted mother made him scared. The thing mother had contrived out still screamed from the top of its lounges. It looked like a pony combined with a bat. He didn't mind bats but this? "Is it?" He asked confused again. The silence was killing him. Landstrider wasn't used to see his parents this worried. Even if they hadn't grown a single potato one season they would still smile and somehow go through it. But now, his mother was almost passing out and his father looked like he had seen a monster. "Yes, son..." His father eventually said trembling. Landstrider had never heard his father sound so... Afraid. "Yes, your sister has wings..." -- “I… I will explain that to you later, um… Tell me more about Pegasi instead! You know how little I know about them hehe.” He made a nervous smile. The blue mare gladly changed the subject to Pegasi in Equestria, or rather about how awesome it was being a Pegasus herself, but her lonely audience hardly paid any attention to her. His mind was too busy remembering… Remembering things that still haunted his dreams… “…and here is the library you wanted to visit!” Landstrider snapped out from his thoughts and looked at the housetree that was in front of him. The best word to describe place was just that: housetree. Rainbow Dash walked to the door and knocked on it. “My friend Twilight lives here!” she said to Landstrider and soon enough, a purple unicorn opened the door. “Hi Twilight!” “Hi Dashie!” The unicorn looked at the new pony. “And who is this?” “This is Landstrider, he is from Scardiva.” Twilight looked curios at the newcomer. “Hi," he said and held out his hoof in greeting. The unicorn smiled and cleared her throat. “Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle and my favorite color is purple,” she said and accepted his hoofshake. Landstriders stood paralyzed for a brief second by the shock of hearing his native language being spoken by a seemly Equestrian pony. Foxie winced as well, and Rainbow Dash was also taken by surprise. “You… You know Scardivariska?” Landstrider asked confused. The lavender unicorn giggled amused. “No I can’t speak Scardivariska. I only know a few words from the language-course introduction back in Celestia's magic school for talented Unicorns. I could choose between Zebrarian, Centaurian or Scardivariska but I choose Centuarian.” She squeed. “Anyway what are you doing so far from your homeland? Isn't it pretty dangerous for anypony to leave that place?” Landstrider recovered from his shock and chough. “Hrm yes, it was a little bit difficult to cross the border but I managed. I am an adventurer and my next adventure is inside the Everfree forest. If you have any books about it, its plants and creatures in particularly, I would appreciate to borrow them, since I assume that this is a library...” “The Everfree forest? Yes I got a couple of books on it... Come on in, and sorry about the mess: A little magical experiment didn't go as planned and I haven't tasked Spike with cleaning it up yet!” She waved them in and they gladly followed her. The first impression Landstrider got was the complete mess the place was in. Books were scattered everywhere, and a table lay knocked over in the middle of it. The place was some sort of crazy mix of a library and a warzone. The next impression was a little bit more positive: the warmth from the fire place made him feel all cozy inside. He took a deep breath and exhaled satisfied. But the familiar sound of Foxie squealing woke him up, and he slammed his forehead with his hoof. “Oh that is right!" He proclaimed. "Is it okay that Foxie here can come in to? I have taught him to not enter buildings without my permission. He is a nice fox…” He pointed his hoof towards Foxie. “Um, yea sure, as long as it doesn’t eat books of course.” Twilight said. Landstrider laughed. “Don’t worry, he will not.” “SPIKE! WE GOT GUESTS.” A tiny voice that seemed to come from this 'Spike' answered the call. “I’m coming!” Suddenly, Foxie smelled danger. He started to growl silently. Not being hungry anymore made Landstrider's reflexes work as intended, and he immediately responded to his fox warning. “Be prepared everypony, something is about to happen...” he warned the other ponies quietly, as he slowly reached for his staff. “What do you mea–“ Before Dash had time to finish her sentence, a red projectile leaped over the books towards the stairs, followed with loud barks. “DRAGON!” Landstrider rushed over to Foxie and quickly placed the tip of his staff at the small dragon’s throat, preventing it from breathing fire. “STOP! DON’T HURT HIM!” The librarian quickly channeled her magic to cast the very familiar spell that had saved her friends several times before. Landstrider and Foxie jumped back from the sudden flash of light beneath them. When they had recovered, the dragon was gone. Confused, they looked around and found it sitting on the purple pony's back. Landstrider had no idea what had just happened, but he didn't have time to stop think about exactly. Still in his fighting stance, he slowly approached the purple mare. “Do not move Ms. Sparkle. I know this will come as a shock, but there is a dragon sitting on your back but just stay still and-” “It is a baby dragon, he is harmless!” Twilight assured, and took some steps away from the approaching stallion. “That is why we need to finish it off meanwhile it is still harmless.” He had seen too many dragons pillaging towns and leaving them half destroyed to ever feel compassion towards them, not even for baby dragons. Suddenly, Landstrider found his way blocked by a blue pegasus. “If you lay a single hoof on Spike, I will shove your staff up your flank!” Rainbow said and put up her hoofs like it was a boxing fight. The unicorn levitated her friend away from Landstrider. “Dash! Calm down, we don’t want a fight in the library, it all is just a misunderstanding...” "Misunderstanding?" Landstrider said frustrated. "It is a dragon, there is no misunderstandings here! We need to kill it before anything bad happens!" Spike's whole body was shaking with fear and it made him almost fall from Twilight's back. “W-who is that pony?” he asked Twilight stuttering. He hadn't been this scared since that time he accidently walked into that dragon-lair a half year from now. It was not that he was used to being attacked by murderous creatures... “His name is Landstrider and he is not from Equestria. He has probably never seen a baby dragon before…” “I have seen a baby dragon alright!” The grey pony interrupted. “And even in their young age they stole our corps and smashed our chicken eggs!” The tension was high in the air. Dash looked like she was going to charge at Landstrider at any second now, while Foxie continued to bark loudly. Twilight felt Spike's shivers, and she struggled to remain civilized. Okay Twilight: remember that he isn't from Equestria, and that Dragons are a major problem in Scardiva. His behavior is totally understandable and you should not do anything rushed. She took a deep breath. “I know there are a lot of wild dragons in Equestria, but in Spikes current state, he is just as polite and nice as you and me.” “Dragons are never something to play with, and definitely nothing to have as a pet!” Now Spike reacted. “I’m not a pet!” he said with a sudden boost of confidence. “Well, you don’t see me as a pet, do you Twilight?” He gave the unicorn a nervous look. “Of course not Spike! Spike here is my friend and not a pet! He has been my number one assistant ever since he was born, and he has always been there for me, no matter how though things have got! I will never see him as anything else than a friend!” Spike crossed his arms. “That’s right!” He said cocky, but you could hear some relieve in that tiny voice... “You said he have been your assistant ever since he was born? So you mean that you actually stole a dragon egg?" He looked sarcastically at Twilight. "I do not think so…” “Of course I haven’t! It was the passing test for the Canterlots magic school for gifted unicorns.” “So, in order to go to magic school in Equestria, a filly needs to steal a dragon egg?” “No! We don’t steal dragon eggs. We only hatch it with our magic.” “But where is the egg from then? Somepony must have taken it from a dragon at some point!” She had never really thought about it before. How did the magic school actually got hold of their dragon eggs? “Well um…” “If it was not a dragon we were talking about, I would be ashamed of Equestria. No living animal should have their parents taken away from them!” Rainbow gnashed her teeth. That was enough for the blue pegasus. “Spike is not an animal and you better stop talk about him like he is one!” No one insult one of her friends when she was around, dragon or pony! The lavender unicorn was a little bit staggered from Landstrider's words. Oh dear Celestia, don't let those words hurt Spike... It was quite true that Spike had been born into slavery, and she remembered the identical problems he had for about a half-year ago... Luckily, it seemed that Celestia had listened to her thoughts. “I am glad that I was raised by ponies instead of my real dragon parents,” Spike said proudly. ”I have seen how my kind is and I would never want to be as brutish and cruel as they are! Plus, there is no better foster parent than Twilight! She has taken care of me better than any dragon parent would ever have done, and I have learned so much from her!” Twilight's heart melted from her little assistant's speech. She didn't know that she meant that much for the tiny dragon. She hadn't realized until now that she was practically his mother! Maybe I should start paying more attention to Spike in the future... Perhaps I should give him a day off and clean the library myse- She suddenly coughed when she breathed in some kind of weird, pink smoke rising from the overturned glass bottles that she had used for her last experiment. It seemed like the ingredients had created some pink, fluffy, liquid that was now spreading out all over the scattered books. Oooor maybe I just give him some more gems for breakfast tomorrow... Landstrider had to admit that he was a little bit impressed that the dragon actually found his own race to be ‘brutish’. It showed it had a sense of good and evil, but it didn't change his basic opinion. “Animal or not, I would still keep an eye on him.” He sheathed his staff and commanded Foxie to not attack the purple little thing. Foxie muttered angrily in return. “Give him a chance, and you will see that dragons can be very intellectual and independent beings,” Twilight assured him. “Take this for an example: Spike, gather all the books about Everfree forest please.” "Yes Ma'am!" The dragon quickly jumped off Twilights back and grabbed a nearby ladder. He didn't want to disappoint Twilight now in front of the stranger, especially not when she had basically bragged about him. 'Everfree Forest and it's inhabitancy', 'The Everfree forest: A survival guide for dummies', 'The magical plants of the Everfree Forest'... He threw all the books he could find about the subject in a small pile in front of the larger mess. He groaned when he realized who would be forced to clean up the chaos afterwards... Landstrider was impressed over how quickly and accurate the little creature was, but then again, all dragons knew everything about their lair… Now when the tension was slightly gone, Twilight curiously picked up 'So you are going into the Everfree Forest? The ten best ways to plan your funeral' and looked at Landstrider. “So anyway what are you looking for in the Everfree forest? You wouldn’t go in there without a goal, would you?” “I am looking for–“ The entrance door suddenly slammed open and a pink pony bounced in from it. “Hi Twi- HUUUUUUUUUH!” the pink pony gasped and then rushed out of the library just as fast as she had came. There was a short second of silence as everypony tried to figure out what just happened. Landstrider was the first one to recover from the shock. “Umm… That was…” Twilight groaned nonchalant. “That was Pinkie Pie. Don’t worry, she does that.” The grey pony shook away the thousands of questions that popped inside his mind and started all over. “I am looking for one of the stones of insight. It is said that one is located in the Everfree forest, so if you have any books about it I would like to borrow them too.” “The stones of insight… Where have I heard about them before…Spike?” “I’m on it!” And in a heartbeat, he held "Old myths and fairytales" in his hand waving it towards Twilight. She caught the book with her magic and began to read it. “…there are six stones of insight scattered all over the world, each one symbolizing a trait that is hidden deep inside everypony's heart. When all stones are gathered in front of its creator, the wielders inner dreams will come true…” She looked up on Landstrider from her book. “What do you want the stones for? It is too much power for just anypony to collect.” “I am not after the stone itself,” Landstrider defended himself. “As I said, I am an adventurer and this stone is just another adventure. Besides, it is only a myth; they might not even be real at all.” “But if they are real they are better of hidden.” “Perhaps, but I still think they are harmless. They are scattered across the world! And even if they all were found, no one would know who the creator of the stones is. And even if they knew who it was, he or she would probably be dead a long time ago.” Landstrider cleared his throat before explaining. “My theory is that for a long time ago, a powerful Unicorn created the stones and meant to rule the world with it. But before the unicorn could use them, the unicorn was discovered and forced to hide the stones across the world. The unicorn was the only one who knew how to use them correctly and therefore the stones must be shown to the unicorn before being effective.” Landstrider made a short pause. “So that is why I think they are harmless.” Twilight was not convinced. “What if the creator of them is an immortal being like Celestia or Luna? There must be other creatures like alicorns that are immortal in this world. Or what if someone else figures out how to use them? We know much more about magic now than we did for ‘a long time’ ago…” “You worry too much Twi!” The flying pony rolled her eyes to emphasize what she said. Dash had calmed down from the Spike incident and was now on Landstriders side of the argument. "It's like that time you meet yourself from the future to tell yourself not to worry about worrying for the future! You need to relax Twi!" The unicorn muttered something for herself. "Yes, that incident was embarrassing alright, but this time I’m not worrying: I’m looking at the possibilities!” "It is the same thing as worrying!" The blue mare said frustrated. "No it is not Rainbow! There is a clear difference between blablabla-" The stallion didn't pay any more attention to the discussion and began to shove down the books in one of his backs. “It is getting late and I still have nowhere to stay. It was nice to meet you Twilight but I need to find somewhere to live before the sun completely goes down…” He swings up his bag on his back. “I will stay here in Ponyville for a few days and prepare for the adventure. I will return your books before entering the forest so you do not need to... worry!” With a big grin he pointed his hoofs towards Dash, which returned the gesture. "I see what you did there!" The pegasus replied with an equally large grin. Spike snickered from Twilight's back but immediately cut it from the hazardous look the unicorn gave him. “So is there an inn of some sort here? You did not show me any when we walked around the town...” The Pegasus scratched his head puzzled. She wasn’t sure, she never had looked for one. “I don’t think so. Do you know if there’s an inn in Ponyville?” She turned to Twilight. "Hrmmmf, I don't think you should... worry about it!" The lavender unicorn tried too to get a laugh from her blue friend but Dash just shook her head disappointed. "Twi, too soon...." With a load groan, Twilight focused on the question instead. The joke hadn't been funny in the first place anyway... “I think Filthy Rich have a hotel somewhere, but that is about it…” A hotel? Landstrider remembered the last time he had slept in a hotel. He had been forced to clean the dishes in two weeks before he finally had afforded to pay the bill for just one night! "I-I don't think I can afford a hotel, I need an inn..." He said disappointed. Just after his words, the entrance door slammed open and out from it popped up a familiar face. “No need to go to the Hotel, it costs more than two Sweet Apple Acrees, and there is no inn in Ponyville, I can tell ya that! But you can always sleep in my barn if you’re goin’ to stay here for awhile.” Landstrider turned around and lightened up. “Are you sure you want to do that for me?” He asked Applejack surprised. “Thank you Applejack, the barn is perfect!” “Oh shooch, it ain’t nothin’! I show ya where it is.” The farmer gave the others a meaning look. “Ya’ll probably should follow me to the barn as well.” Her friends returned her look with confused faces. “What do you mean? Why do I have to come too?” Rainbow asked annoyed. “Well, let’s just say that Pinkie Pie saw Landstrider…” Both ponies immediately understood and agreed on following. Landstrider around confused. “Um, is there something I should know about this Pinkie Pie?” “You’ll get your answers faster than a vespid pricked cow, just follow me to the barn and you’ll see what I mean,” Applejack said. Her words didn’t really relax Landstrider. “Okay I coming Applejack,” Twilight said and looked on Spike. “Spike, you're coming too?” The purple dragon gave the fox a scared stare and then shook his head. “No I’m better of here and clean up the mess,” he answered a little bit distant. “Sure there is nothing I should now?” Landstrider asked a bit anxious again. “Relax, it will be fun!” Dash said and gave Landstrider a friendly smack on his back.Landstrider muttered something in his own language and then reluctantly followed the three ponies out of the housetree. “Foxie, are you coming?” Landstrider looked at his fox. Foxie nodded to Landstrider, but before he followed him he gave the baby dragon a deadly glare. Spike made an ugly grimaced in return and the fox slowly left the library with a lowered growl. After a long walk, they eventually reached the barn. The darkness around them indicated that it was now evening, and chilly winds swept through the ponies, as they stood outside the barn. Landstrider had become rather suspicious from the mysterious behavior. “Okay, can somepony please explain to me what is going on, now when we finally reached the barn?” “Just walk in and you'll see,” Applejack said with an encouraging tune. The other ponies tried to hide a laugh, but some single giggles couldn’t be suppressed. Something was going on, he thought, but as long as Foxie didn’t snarl of danger, it was okay to go in… He slowly opened the door to the barn, ready for anything that could be inside… Anything except that! “SURPRISE!!” Landstrider jumped back startled and by instinct reached for his staff. The barn was filled with ponies, and a lot of confetti suddenly sprung up in the air. The pink pony Landstrider had seen earlier appeared in front of him and she kept bouncing up and down in excitement. “Welcome to Ponyville! I am Pinkie Pie and when I heard that you were staying in Applejacks barn I was like HUUUUUUUUUH so I gather everypony in town because I know everypony in town and I want you to feel welcome! Do you feel welcome?” Foxie groaned loudly. This was enough for him. Sure, being yelled at for trying to defend his master, being forced to walk into the town, being mocked by a dragon… He could take it. But more crazy ponies when all he wanted was some rest? It was the last straw. He turned around and ran into some nearby bushes for some silence and peace. “Foxie!” Dash said and prepared to go after him but Landstrider stopped her. “Don’t worry about Foxie, he can handle himself.” Pinkie was not happy with being ignored. “DO YOU FEEL WELCOME?!” she screamed right in the strangers face. “Ummm…” Landstrider tried to recover from his concussion. “H-how did you even know I was staying in the barn, and how did you manage to get all the stuff here so quickly?” The stallion looked at the other three ponies for answers. Twilight sighed. “She is Pinkie Pie. If we somehow could figure it out ourselves, we would.” Pinkie kept bouncing around Landstrider. “You already met Twilight and Rainbow Dash? Are you good friends with them? They are my best friends! We all could be best friends! You could be best friends with everypony!” Pinkie Pie made a short pause to inhale. “What is your name?” It took a second for Landstrider to realize that she actually had asked a question to him. “Um, you can call me Landstrider…” “Landstrider? That’s a weird name! I have never heard of someone called Landstrider before!” The pink blur's bouncing made the grey stallion even dizzier. “Are you happy that I threw this party just for you? I would be happy if somepony threw a party for me. Or if they threw a party at all, I love parties!” Pinkie Pie talked so fast that Landstrider had hard times understanding what she was saying at all. “If I like parties? I-I think I rather want to get some sleep instead…” Pinkie Pies smile widened and she looked closer at Landstrider. “You can’t be tired now! It’s your party! It would be silly if you were tired on your own party, don’t you think?” “Um…” Landstrider looked begging at the other ponies. Applejack got the hint and came to his rescue. “Pinkie Pie, go easy on the fellow, he had a lon’ journey.” Pinkie Pies smile quickly turned to a frown. “Aww but I want to party! I always party when a new pony comes to town…” “Sugarcube, you always want to party! Let Landstrider here get some rest.” Pinkie Pie looked like she was going to cry. Landstrider scratched his head and smiled uncertainly. “Hehe, It is nice meeting you Pinkie but right now, I really should get some sleep. But…” A familiar sight made him stop right in his tracks. A yellow pony with a pink mane stood in a corner inside the barn, drinking something from a glass. Was, was that Fluttershy? He squinted with his eyes to see better… Suddenly, the pony looked up and their eyes met. His hurt made a double beat. It was Fluttershy! There was a short second where they just stood and looked at each other in cheer surprise. Eventually, the yellow pony hid her face in her mane and tried to get some ponies between herself and Lanstrider. Yes, it was definitely her! He lightened up. This was a great opportunity to make up to her! “…but I guess a little party won’t hurt…” he then said with an awkward smile. “YES I KNEW IT!” Pinkie jumped on Landstrider, almost knocking him to the ground with her big hug. The stallion flinched from the sudden Pink attack and stumbled around for a brief second. When he got grasp of himself again, Fluttershy was gone. “Excuse me for a second,” he said and quickly walked towards the place he had seen Fluttershy. The rest of the ponies tried to grasp what just had happened. First he didn't want a party and now he wanted one? Eventually, Applejack spoke up. “Should we follow him?” She looked questioning at her friends. “I think we should let him be for today,” Twilight said “He can handle himself without our constant nagging. Let’s go find Rarity instead.” The rest of the ponies agreed. “I think I saw her at the punch!” Pinkie said and she quickly disappeared in the vast crowd of ponies. Twilight and the rest of the ponies tried to catch up with her, but something suddenly caught Twilight's attention. She turned around and saw something pink and yellow leaving the barn. It doesn't take a Star Swirl the bearded to figure out who that was... “Go without me I just need to do something first...” she said and galloped after Fluttershy. Once outside, she found her halfway down the hill, patting Landstriders fox. “Fluttershy wait!” Foxie jumped away startled from the sudden appearance of the purple Unicorn that seemed to have popped up from nowhere. “Don’t worry Foxie, it is only Twilight's teleporting…” Fluttershy calmed the fox down and continued to stroke his fur. “Fluttershy, isn’t it a little bit early to leave the party, even for you?” Twilight asked her. Fluttershy looked up. “When Pinkie told me about the party, she didn’t tell me it was for Landstrider…” she said and continued to pat Foxie. The unicorn took a step back in surprise. “How did you know his name was Landstrider? Have you met him before?” She nodded. “I met him in on my way to the crows…” Fluttershy looked like she was going to hide from a dragon again. It was unusual, even for Fluttershy. Twilight examinee her friend closer. “What happened? Did he hurt you? You seem scared…” The pegasus avoided Twilight's questioning look and focused her gaze at the red fur. “He hasn’t done anything… I just don’t like him, that’s all,” she snorted. The unicorn gave the pegaus a cynical look. “Fluttershy! I haven’t met anypony you don’t like!” “Well, now you have!” The were a short pause were Twilight didn't find what words to say. She would expect this kind of behavior from Rarity, not from Fluttershy! Foxie growled in delight when Fluttershy's snout strokes his fur. “You know you can trust me Fluttershy…” “There is nothing to it!" she burst out. "As much as we disliked Trixxie when she arrived to town, I dislike Landstrider, there’s nothing strange with that!” “You cannot compare Landstrider to Trixxie. Trixxie was a boaster, and you barely know Landstrider! I can agree that he is a little bit strange but you even snuggle with his Fox!” “The fox and Landstrider are two different things. This fox is beautiful! Do you see how red it is? And its fur feels so relaxing to pat. Here, try it.” She waved invitingly towards Twilight. Did… did Fluttershy tried to change subject?, Twilight was utterly confused. This was NOT the Fluttershy she knew. “Fluttershy, I now there is something you don’t tell me,” the Unicorn said frustrated. “I have told you everything there is to know! I just feel uncomfortable near him, that’s all. Now, give Foxie here a pat…” “Fluttershy, you feel uncomfortable near everypony you recently met!” “Yes, but I fell extra uncomfortable near this one. He makes me nervous… More nervous than other ponies do.” She made a heavy sigh. “I am sorry Twilight, I just can’t go to this party, I just can’t. Can we talk about something else?” She put on her puppet eyes but Twilight wasn’t the pony who gives up that easily. “Can you at least tell me what he has done or does that make you feel so uncomfortable?” “I… I don’t know Twilight. I just… He makes me afraid…” “You can’t be afraid of somepony without a good reason!” “Yes I can…” “Fluttershy, you can’t! Is it that he is from Scar- “ “YES I CAN!” The before timid pony suddenly exploded. Foxie panicked and ran off into the bushes again. Twilight’s brain had stopped working. S-s-she... H-how... W-w-when... When Fluttershy realized what she had done, she curled up into her mane as usual. “Sorry Twilight, I mean um… Come back Foxie, please... Um, Twilight, please stop asking me questions, um… I can handle myself from here…” she whispered and began walking down the hill, her head sunk to the ground. Still in shock from her friend's extremely odd behavior, Twilight saw her friend slowly disappear in the late evening. I know she is hiding something… Twilight thought to herself. And I’m going to find out what it is! Maybe Landstrider isn’t as innocent as he seems to be… Concerned, she walked back to the barn and joined the party… Oh, Fluttershy, what have happen to you? Landstrider took another desperate look around the barn, hoping to find what he searched for. Green ponies, blue ponies, brown ponies, Pegasi, Unicorns and Earth ponies, but no Fluttershy. He sighed. There was no use. If she still was inside the barn, he would have found her by now. It was like she had mysteriously disappeared from the barn... “Ah, you must be Landstrider! I have heard so much about you from my friend Rainbow Dash…” He turned around and gasped. The white unicorn that had spoke was dressed with the most magnificent dress he had ever seen! The dress had a perfect combination of blue and white, with gems holding it all together. Her blue eyes twinkled from the lights and she held up her head like a noble. Only on some few royal weddings he had been lucky enough to participate in matched this glorious sight which he now beholds. This must be somepony from Equestria's higher court. He was speechless. “I am Rarity,” the unicorn said and put forth her hoof, expecting a hoofshake. Landstrider's brain maid a triple volt. How did the royal families he had seen behave in these situations? He took the hoof and gave it a tender kiss. The royal pony seemed to be delighted by the gesture and he puffed out relieved. He had remembered right. “It is a pleasure to see that a pony with manners has arrived here in Ponyville,” Rarity said and blinked with her eyelashes. “How does it come that a pony from the royal court is attending on a strangers surprise party?” “Oh, please, I’m a simple pony, just like you.” she said fluttered but it was clearly that she liked the thought of being mistaken for a pony from the royal court. “So tell me, is the rumors true? Are you really from Scardiva?” “What you have heard is true Madame…” “Oh dear, please do call me Ms. Rarity.” She giggled a little. “And it is so excited to have a conversation with a pony from abroad, don't you think?" Before he had time to answer, the dressed unicorn suddenly jumped back startled with a small squeak. "I-is something wrong Ms. Rarity?" the stallion stumbled out. "Um, well, I can tell that you are really... attached to your hat Landstrider..." The grey stallion took of his large broomed hat. "Yes, it has been with me since I left the apes..." The Unicorn shook her head. "No no no, that will not do!" she said and pointed her hoof against the many holes of the old hat. "THAT will not do! If I had known I would have brought with me my stitching tools!" Landstrider's breath got stuck in his throat when a blue aura suddenly surrounded the hat and lifted it towards the Unicorn. "Yes, I know exactly what this beauty needs! It will be fancy but not fabulous! It would ruin its practical usage. And a few stitches here would be just perfect! And..." Landstrider didn't really know what to do. A dressed Unicorn taking and examine his hat without his permission wasn't really a situation he could claim he was used to. He tried to be polite. "Umm, I am sorry Ms. Rarity, but could you please give me my back hat?" He put on a forced smile. The white pony flinched, like she had just had woke up from a dream. "Oh, but of course!" The hat levitated magically onto the grey pony's head. "But don't hesitate coming down to my Boutique before you leave and I will make your hat as fresh as new, I can assure!" He didn't really want his hat to be fixed. There was a hidden charm in wearing an overused hat he could not really explain. Like a good luck charm, or something that indicated that it was him... "We will see about that, Ms. Rarity." He said a little bit avoiding. "Oh, but you simply MUST! Otherwise, you will look like my friend Applejack who insists on wearing the same old hat she have weird since she was a filly! Yes of course it is a pretty memory, but even memories needs to be freshened up in order to remain, don't you agree?" "Umm..." His eyes bounced back and forth. Would he say what he thought or what the pony wanted to hear? It was one of those things he had learned during his travels, that sometimes, it is better to say what a pony want you to say instead of saying what you personally thought, especially when it came to the upper classes. He had learned this the hard way when a Centaurian Prince had asked him if he liked his vest. He had almost been banished from their country when he had been honest! Luckily, he didn't have to think about it. Suddenly, a large sound from scattered glass turned everypony's attention towards the punch table. The punch bowl was indeed the source of the turmoil, and the sticky fluid slowly evolved into a large pond of Apple cider. It filled the air with a sweet, attractive smell. A grey, eyed-crossed Pegasus levitated over the whole mess and tried to look as innocent as possible. “Oh dear, it seems like there has been a misunderstanding..." The voice came from a brown Earth pony with a clock as cutiemark. "I asked for a glass of punch, not a bowl of punch!” When the Pegasus answered, she did it with a weak and pitiful voice. “I-I’m sorry Dr Whooves…” The barn was in complete silence. Is- is my mind playing tricks on me? Landstrider rubbed his eyes so he could observe the scene better. The grey pony looked exactly like she was from… Nonono, she can’t be, she is a Pegasus after all! It is just a coincidence! He told himself and was just about to not pay it more attention when something else got his interest. Somepony in the crowd broke the silence. “Don’t worry everypony, it’s just Derpy again!” he shouted. The crowd made some understanding nods and muffled laughs before everything turned back to normal again (except for the large spot of punch on the floor). Derpy? Was her name really Derpy? In that case she must be from... Never mind, I must have heard wrong... Once again, he was just about to stop thinking about the crossed-eyed pony but it was like fate wanted him to draw that particular connection in his mind. “Hohoho, Don’t mind Derpy my dear.” Rarity laughed. “She is always a little… Dizzy so to say.” Derpy! Her name was really Derpy! This is more than just coincidences; this can only mean one thing… “Excuse me Ms. Rarity, but I must go…” he hasty excused and before Rarity could react, he was gone among the crowd. He kept his eyes fixed on the grey pony. This pony he was not going to miss! He barely could believe his eyes! He wasn't the only pony from Scardivaria here! The pony Derpy had learned to know as 'Doctor Whooves' looked at her curiously. "This might seem like an odd question..." he started. Derpy already knew it was something pony related when he starts a question like that. It was like he had never seen a pony before. "...but are all ponies this... clumsy, so to say? And don't take me the wrong way, it would only be reasonable if ponies were clumsy because... you know, we have these hoofs and..." "No, it is just me..." Derpy said sadly. "Oh? But then, another question:" The doctor cleared his throat. "Do ponies drink from bowls instead of glasses? Because for me, it seemed rather illogical that you actually try to lift the bowl to me instead of..." "No, I just misheard you..." "Oh? Okay, well that is alright! It can happen to anyone I suppose..." "'Anypony', not 'anyone'! And I'm going to look for a mop." As always, Derpy Hooves ruins everything again, she said to herself with a depressed face as she searched for a mop to clean it all up with. Of course it made no sense that the Doctor wanted a bowl of punch instead of a glass, but she just didn't want to let him down. Now when her sister had moved to Canterlot, he was the only friend she had. I guess I'm just as stupid as everypony thinks I am. This party, the mailmare had said to herself that she would NOT make a fool out of herself like every other party she attended. But even this time she had managed to do just that. She couldn’t understand why Pinkie Pie always insisted that she would come to her parties. She would only ruin them anyway! She felt like a constant burden for everypony to bear. She was just about to fly over to Applejack to ask for a mop when a voice she didn’t recognize called her name. “Stop Derpy!” She turned around and saw that it was the new pony in town, the pony this party was for all about. What could anypony, especially a stranger want with a clumsy mailpony? She asked herself. “Huh?” “You–you are from Scardiva, are you not?” the stranger said and looked excited at her. Scardiva? Wasn’t that a pony? Or a mountain? Derpy couldn’t remember where she had heard it from. “Huh?” “Your grey skin…” the strange pony panted excited. ”Only ponies from Scardiva have that light grey skin! You must be from Scardiva!” Was there something wrong with my skin now? She began examine her body but it all looked as it always did to her. It was still the same, boring light grey as it always was... It was clear that the strange pony was thrilled over something, but she had no clue what he was talking about. “Huh?” The pony cleared his throat. “Du kanske inte förstår Equestrian, nu då?”. She took some steps back in confusion. Why did he start to talk gibberish? Maybe the punch was a little bit stronger than she thought it was... “Um, are you alright?” she asked a bit uncomfortable with the situation. “Stop that nonsense Landstrider, you’re makin’ a scene! Derpy ain’t from Scardiva, she have lived here in all her life!” Applejack had entered the conversation with a mop and a bucket in her hoofs. “Derpy is a Scardivan name and her skin is grey! It all leads to the same conclusion: She is from Scardiva!” Now Derpy remembered, Scardiva was a country! But she wasn’t from Scardiva, was she? “Didn't you heard what I said, Landstrider? I agree that Derpy is an odd name alight, but Derpy have lived in this village all her life, with her parents, which are both from Equestria." “Yes, I agree that it would be strange to see a Scardivan pony in Equestria.” The grey stallion looked at Derpy. “If it was not for her wings.” Derpy looked confused at her wings. Whas there something special about them as well as her skin? “What do you mean? Rainbow told me that you told her only Earth ponies lived in Scardiva, and Derpy is clearly a Pegasus!” Is she defending me? Derpy thought. Is being from Scardiva something bad? Applejack had always been the closest thing Derpy had got as a friend until she had met Whooves. But they both lived in completely opposite sides of Ponyville, so they had never really got good opportunity to actually talk to each other. But Applejack knew who she was and always greeted her when she saw her on the streets. She was always so friendly towards her... Landstrider hesitated for a second before speaking again. "I... have a theory...but um..." his swords were a bit staggered. "Do you mind tellin' us about this 'theory' of yours Landstrider? It doesn't seem to be a good one if ya doubt like that." Applejack's words where followed with a long minute of silence. "Let’s walk outside..." The grey earth pony eventually said and nodded them to follow him. Derpy and AJ looked puzzled at each other, before following him towards the exit. Once outside, Landstrider took a deep breath from the fresh air. “What I am going to say now does not apply to me, but it is the grim truth." He looked deep into their eyes. "And I would appreciate if you both could keep this for yourselves." "I promise I won't tell anypony!" Applejack said trustfully. Derpy didn't know what to say. Nopony had ever trusted him with a secret before. She began to feel a little bit scared and confused... Landstrider didn't wait for an approval from Derpy. "As you both know, before the founding of Scardiva (or you might refer to it as ‘before the rule of Celestia’), the Earth ponies was under the Pegasus’s harsh rule and they were treated very badly. Although the three clans later made peace with each other, Scardiva and his ponies did not. The Pegasuses cruel oppression over the earth ponies is still not forgotten in Scardiva, and whenever a Scardivan family by chance gets a Pegasus filly…” -- "NO!" His mother's terrified screams frightened Landstrider. "YOU WON'T TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME! YOU WON'T, YOU-" One of the dark cloaked ponies slapped his mother to the ground, making her gasp for air. "You have been hiding an arch-enemy from Scardiva! You know what the consequence for that is!" the cloaked one yelled with a merciless voice. "She is just a BABY! A new born BABY!" There was no use. Her mother's cries fell on deaf ears. From Landstrider's hideout, he could see them picking up her sister from the cradle... -- He suddenly felt all his energy being drained away from him in one second and he fell to the ground. It felt very appealing to vomit right there on the spot. He tried not to. "Landstrider, you're alright?" Applejack rushed to him and offered him a helping hoof, but he waved it away. Derpy observed frightened as AJ helped the strange, collapsed, pony up on his feet again. What was going on? Why did he just collapse? She was very confused. He pulled himself together. "T-thanks, I'm fine..." he said, but his shaky voice exposed him. "You sure you shouldn't hit the hay already? Seems to me that you have enjoyed one drink too much..." AJ asked, meaningfully. "N-no, it is not that…" He straightened up. "L-let me continue." "As I said, when a Scardivarian family gets a pegasus filly, t-they cut of its wings and sell it as slaves.” He suppressed another wave of memories. He had never thought meeting another Scardivarian would bring up so many memories! He started to think about his parents again. Oh ancestors so much he missed them! Her mother’s calming touch, his father wise voice... "Umm, what have that story to do with me?" The squeaky voice woke him up to the present and he continued. “But there are some few of us that do not follow this brutal tradition! There are some of us that decide to keep their baby and not letting a pony’s birth determine who you are! But keeping a Pegasus in ones house is dangerous. If somepony not as open minded finds out about it, they will warn the authorities. The authorities will then enslave the family and its Pegasus, accusing them all of treason. And the cruel punishment for treason… is slavery.” Again, Landstrider was forced to stop his story to squeeze out memories. Derpy still was confused and tried to ask something but Applejack put her hoof in Derpy’s mouth with a serious glare to Derpy. Applejack understood that Landstrider needed his time… “In Derpys case, I guess that some Scardivan pony family somehow managed to pass the border guards and move to Equestria. It would at least make some sense…” he eventually ended his story. There was a moment of silence when everypony tried to let the message sunk in. "I'm not sayin' you are wrong Landstrider..." AJ said. "...but there is still one problem: Derpy's parents are both green Unicorns… Shouldn’t they be grey Earth ponies if they were from Scardiva?” The stallion thought about Applejacks question for a second. “Well, maybe something went wrong so they had to abandon Derpy? I do not know, maybe we should ask herself about it.” Landstrider looked at Derpy. “What do you think?” Derpy jumped back slightly startled. She was caught off guard. D-did he really ask *me** for an opinion? No one ever asks me for an opinion!* “Umm… I don’t know…” She looked at the ground with her focused eye. Landstrider's story did make some sense to her; she had always felt like she didn’t belong in Ponyville. In school, for example, she had been the only Pegasus pony, the rest of the pegasi lived in Cloudsdale. On family photos, she had always stuck out: two green unicorns, a green filly unicorn and then Derpy, the grey Pegasus. Speaking of family portraits, she remembers something her mother once had said. The grey mailmare was just a little filly back then, and his parents had been angrier at her than usual. She hadn't thought about what her mother had said at that time to much, there was to many other feelings involving that memory... She remembered that she had recently dropped the newly framed family photo, destroying it completely. A framed photo was quite expensive, so it had been quite a big deal… “The family photo… Newly framed…” Mr. Hooves held the broken photo in his hoofs, thinking about how much bits he had wasted on it. Filly Lyra crawled closer to her mother. Derpy could see that Mrs. Hooves would explode in any second now. And again, she was right. “Do you know how much effort we put up on this photo Derpy?” Mrs. Hooves asked. “Sorry mom…” She whispered. “ I-I just don’t know what went wrong…” “DO you have ANY idea how much effort we put into this?” Her mom asked again, louder this time. Derpy squeed quietly. “THIS, young lady, was the PERFECT family photo. It would live FOR GENERATIONS to come… “ Her mother took a heavy breath. The grey filly tried to make herself as tiny as possible but she knew nothing would help. “It had everything! The right photographer, the right studio, the right background, the right cloths… Even YOU looked okay for once…” Her mom suppressed a tear before continuing. “But you! You’re… crossed eyed, grey, flying plague… You destroyed it!” She was used to be called names but it always felt much worse when they came from her parents… The little filly remained quiet. She saw that her little sister was just as scared as she was. Lyra was one of the few ponies that didn’t see Derpy as a burden… “Derpy… Just… Get out…” Mr. Hooves slowly said before her mother could continue yell at her. She knew what that meant: She was going to sleep on a cloud tonight. She hated sleeping on clouds! It was not that it was cold, it was more that it was… Lonely. So terrible lonely... She sighed heavily in disappointment and slowly walked to the door. The last thing she heard before the door slammed behind her (because of magic), was her mother savage cries… --- Derpy used to move the cloud over his home's roof before going to sleep. She wanted to be as close as possible to her family. She knew which spot was right above her parents’ bedroom, and she could sometimes even hear them talk. This was one of those nights. “This time, it has gone too far!” she heard her mother say. “We must do something about this... this nuisance! I don’t know if I can take it much longer…” “What do you want to do? What is there we can do? We cannot just send her away!” Her father sounded upset. “I know, but can’t we… just go on a vacation or something. Without her, and then never come back?” "Y-you mean like leaving her forever?" "Yes... Think about it James! She might be stupid as a plane, but somepony in town must take care of her eventually, when they see that she is alone that is..." Derpy swallowed. They- they were going to leave her? Forever? Not coming back? She curled up with the cloud in pure desperation. Sometimes, she dreamed nightmares about her family leaving her alone, but she had always told herself it was only dreams. W-was she dreaming now? A cold breeze swept past and told her that she wasn't asleep. Her stomach began to hurt in anxiety again. She felt lonelier then she ever had felt before. The worst thing she knew was being alone... Her Father sighed. “You know we can’t do that to the poor thing… Yes, I agree we could use a break from her but not abandon her completely.” Her mother made a short sigh. “Yes, you're right as always... It is just that... If we hadn’t found her that day, if we hadn’t found her James, we wouldn’t have to put up with this!” Derpy exhaled relieved. Her parents weren't going to leave her. Of course they weren't! This would be just like any other day, and after a week or two, everything would turn back to normal. Her father spoke again. “Perhaps, but we did found her, and we are not as cruel ponies as the ones that left her there.” “Mom? Dad?” Lyra seemed to have entered the room. “Can I sleep in here tonight? I had a bad dream…” Derpy made a tear for her poor sister. She often got nightmares after a ‘Derpy yell out’ and she thought Lyra was taking the blame on herself. "Doesn't she understand that it is always my fault?" the grey filly said out loud, knowing that nopony could hear her. It all made her feel even guiltier… “Again Lyra? You're becoming a big filly soon, you must get over it!” her mother said strictly. “Nonsense! Lyra you are always welcome,” Mr. Hooves said and Derpy could hear her family curl up in the large bed. She often imagined how it was like, sleeping all three in the same bed. She imagined it to be warm, and soft. Her mother would sleep quietly, without snoring or sleep spasm. She would be graceful, even in her sleep. Little Lyra on the other hoof would be flipping around in the bed energetically as she tries to find the perfect sleeping position. Eventually, she would fall asleep by her father's comforting whispers, as he embraces her with both arms. Derpy remembered herself crying that night, wishing that she hadn’t been a grey, crossed eyed freak… Her mother's words echoed in her mind. "If we hadn’t found her that day, if we hadn’t found her James, we wouldn’t have to put up with this!" Derpy had never really thought about those specific words before. Now when she did, she started to think more than she ever had thought about anything before. Maybe this stranger was right. Maybe she wasn't from Equestria at all... But what would that mean? And who where her real parents? “I… think I will ask my parents about this…” Derpy finally said sadly. “I guess it would explain a lot of things… But I want to be sure…” Landstrider nodded. “If I am right, which I am kind of certain that I am, you can always come to me with questions. I will answer as many of them as I can…” Derpy just nodded silently in return and looked transfixed at the grass. “I think I can swoop up the mess in the barn for you Derpy…” Applejack eventually said and with the mop in a tight grip, Applejack disappeared into the barn. Landstrider gave Derpy a pat on her back. “I know there is much for you to swallow, I will always be somewhere near Ponyville when you feel you are ready for it.” Derpy nodded. “Thank you, I guess…” There were so many thoughts circulating in the grey mailmare's mind right now. Where was she from? Who was she suppose to be? Shouldn’t her parents have told her about this if it was true? Every time she thought about one question long enough, two more would pop up. "Oh! There you are Derpy! I have been looking all around fo- Is everything alright my dare?" The voice came from the brown pony Landstrider had seen earlier. "I-I'm fine... I think..." Derpy whispered to her friend in return. "I think Derpy needs some time for herself right now..." Landstrider advised the brown pony. "Oh? Well, I see... Is it something I have caused or..." Derpy shock her head. "No, it is not you, please Whooves, let me just be alone for awhile..." "Oh, very well... I head back home then I suppose... If not my presence is needed of course! But there is a long way home, and I don't have wings you see..." "I see you at home..." Derpy interrupted him. "Oh! Of course my dear! Um, well I will be off then!" The pony walked whistling down the hill towards the small settlement of buildings. After he was out of sight, Landstrider looked at Derpy. "A friend of yours?" Derpy nodded. Suddenly, the fearful voice of the scariest pony Landstrider had ever met made him recoil in pure fear. "Landstrider! There you are!" The pink pony bounced out from seemingly nowhere. "But what are you doing outside? The party is inside the barn silly filly! And same case for you missy!" Before any of the two grey ponies had any time to react, Pinkie had pulled them back into the party. "Are you good at games Landstrider? You know, throwing games? I'm pretty bad myself but it is always fun to see somepony win! Applejack always beats me at horse-shoe throwing, but it is alright, I'm at least having fun! Oh, did you know all the punch have been dried up now? And --" -- The rest of the party went on smoothly except for Landstrider, Derpy and Applejack. They all were in there own deep thoughts the whole evening. Many ponies welcomed Landstrider to Ponyville, teasing him friendly for not knowing that Pegasi lived on clouds. He gave them nearly no attention. Despite the horrible memories Derpy made him remember, a part of him wished that Derpy would be from Scardiva. There was so long time since he talked to a fellow Scardivarian, even if she couldn't speak Scardivariska. It was the feeling of unity... Like when you are the only pony in a village full of apes and suddenly you meet another pony. He really hoped to see Derpy again. As well as Fluttershy... Eventually, one after another, the partying ponies left the barn to get some well deserved sleep. Soon, there was only Landstrider, Applejack, Derpy and Pinkie Pie left. “Should we…” Pinkie Pie yawned loudly. “…play some more games?” The pink party animal approached slowly the dart board, but ended up leaning at the wall. “Pinkie, I think it’s time we’ll head back home,” the orange pony said. “We’ll look like zombie ponies right now.” Pinkie took a long look at Applejack. “Hihihi, you're right Applejack!” she then concluded. “We do look like… Like zomb...” She passed out before she could finish the sentence. AJ made a muffled laugh. “That’s Pinkie alright!” she said merrily. Derpy sat to herself in a distant corner of the barn. She did what everyone always told her to do: nothing. It was a depressive sight. Derpy’s mind however, was far from doing nothing, but it wasn’t pretty thoughts going around in it. “Derpy, do ya need somepony to follow you home?” The apple farmer gave an encouraging pat with her snout. “No… I’m fine…” She got off her chair and slowly began the long walk home. Tomorrow, she would ask her parents about her past but right now, she needed some rest… Applejack gave Landstrider a tired look. “I should probably take Pinkie home.” The mare pulled the sleeping cupcake baker up on her back. “Try gettin’ some sleep Landstrider, it will be a lon’ day tomorrow…” Landstrider nodded as he saw the orange pony carrying the knocked out friend out from the barn. After they were gone, he unfurled a sleeping bag from his equipment. If it had been up to him, he would have slept for hours ago. He gave a quick look towards the entrance. “You can come in now Foxie,” Landstrider said loudly. As he predicted, the red fox walked in and curled up besides the grey traveler. “I have already checked the place for escape routes. If something happens, we will escape through that window and...” Foxie's loud snoring told him that his words had fallen on deaf ears. He couldn't help but smiling. “It has been a long day Foxie… A long day…” He gave the sleeping fox some few strokes. Forget what I said about entering Ponyville was among the top five most eventful things that had ever happened to me: Meeting Derpy tops the list! He made muffled laugh under his sleeping bag. At least I didn't meet a time-travelling pony... He said to himself, before he finally fell asleep. That night, he dreamed about bouncing, pink, baby Dragons with eyes pointing in different directions... It was full moon, and a lonely owl hoo-ed in the dark. The group of six ponies had been walking for non-stop in weeks now, and Faceless had been whining all day about how weary her hoofs were. It had ended with Shadowblade commanding her to be quiet for the rest of the day. Walking wasn't a trouble for Deathoak. It was the boredom that was the big problem. Even if Lightningbolt seemed to make the time somehow pass by, there were still long moments were absolutely nothing happened. Luckily, his creative mind had found a way to keep him stimulated. He held up the captured squirrel hard with his fore hoofs as he concentrated deeply. The squirrel squeaked frightened and tried to break free from the strong grip, but it had no chance. The spell he was trying to use was a new invention of his, and it was much more complex than his earlier spells had been. Thankfully, the squirrel here was a perfect test subject. Eventually, it was done! The squirrel had been surrounded by a black, mystical barrier that glowed brightly in the dark. The barrier was not a barrier for protection, but a barrier for trapping. He grinned. …and now to the interesting part! With a quick motion, he broke the squirrel’s neck. The sound of it snap reminded him about the noise you make when you accidently steps on a branch. Now, in theory, the squirrels’ soul should now be trapped inside the magic barrier. If it worked, it would mean that Deathoak could kill ponies with “normal” spells, rather than that energy-demanding mind-spell he had been using earlier, and still be able to harvest the energy from their souls! Think about this for an example: he kills a lot of enemies, but their souls will be trapped inside this realm thanks to the barrier. Then, after the battle, he could penetrate each defenseless soul in his own pace. It would be much more energy efficient. Excited, he checked the barrier with his mind. It was empty. Groaning angrily, he threw the dead squirrel into the camp fire. It was not until then he realized that the other five ponies where observing him curiously. “What?” he asked annoyed. Shadowblade stopped puffing on his pipe. “What are you trying to accomplish?” he asked. Dearhoak winced. He really didn’t want to tell Shadowblade that he could gain strength from killing. It would sure make him fail the loyalty test if they found out he could make a profit on their deaths... “Oh, it’s nothing, really…” Shadowblade looked deep into his eyes. “Deathoak, when I ask you a question, you better answer it!” Deathoak swallowed, remembering the scar he had gotten the first night since they began their journey. “Fine, I’m trying to trap the squirrel’s soul,” he admitted. Shadowblade raised an eyebrow. “Why?” Deathoak quickly thought for a reasonable explanation other than the truth. “Think of the possibilities you have if you could turn yourself to a soul. You could fly around unnoticed, check into other ponies’ dreams, read their minds…” He crossed his hoofs that Shadowblade would buy it. Hope this cloak really covers up my face as much as theirs do... “Why would it matter if you end up like that?” Shadowblade pointed at the burned squirrel body in the fire. “Well, of course the body is vulnerable when it has no soul, but…” “No no no, that was not what I meant.” Shadowblade interrupted him. “It looked like you needed to kill the squirrel in order for the soul to leave the body. There is no use to turning yourself into a soul if there is no body to return too.” “Well, um, that is why I try to trap the soul, so I could try to revive it.” The black unicorn made a silent curse under his hood. Who was so stupid to actually believe that? “So… you mean you could revive the squirrel? Back from the dead?” “Umm, well…” Darn it! They seemed to know too that nothing can revive a pony back from the dead. Even if you actually managed to return the soul to its body, it would only die again from the previous cause. Well, better put on that big smile... ”Yes! If I could trap the soul before it disappears, I might be able to return it to its body again!” He smiled nervously. There was some seconds of silence. Slowly, Deathoak took out a mouse from his bag and began focusing the spell again. Maybe that would convince them... Shadowblade took some more puffs from his pipe. “Try to make the soul want to stay inside the barrier rather than trapping it.” The unicorn totally lost his concentration. “W-what now?” “I said you could try making the soul want to stay inside the barrier, instead of trying to trap it.” That is just stupid, what in Equestria would a soul want to stay in this realm after it dies? “Thanks but I don’t think there really is anything a soul wants after it dies…” “Light.” “What?” “Light, souls attracts to light.” "Uhm, why would a soul wa-" "Just try it." Confused, he focused up the barrier again. This time he created a strong light inside it before killing the mouse. He checked inside the barrier and gasped. Inside it, near the light source, was a tiny blue sphere swimming around in circles. Deathoak watched amazed as the soul made a couple of more turns before quickly it easily broke free from the barrier and disappeared. Deathoak looked shocked at Shadowblade. “H-how did you know that?” Shadowblade took some more puffs from the pipe. “Everypony try getting some sleep, we will reach the forest tomorrow and I want you all to be in ship-shape for it,” he eventually said, ignoring the question completely. Deathoak blinked confused. “But…” “Deathoak and Faceless takes the first guard.” “But…” “Smacher and Lightningbolt will take the second night guard.” “But…” Faceless placed a hoof over Deathoak’s mouth and looked him in the eyes. “There’s no use” her gaze seemed to say. He sighed. How could Shadowblade know that souls attracts to light? There sure was something mysterious about that… Confounded about this, he sat down next to Faceless as the other ponies crawled up in their sleeping bags.
Chapter 4 - The temple of SheolxBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Deathoak tried to wave the mosquito away but this one was extra persistent. With a frustrated sigh, he gave up the fight and tried to focus on something else. The sludgy sound from his hoofs stepping into the mud was unpleasant, but anything that would be better than the mind ripping noise from his annoying follower. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep him distracted. This called for extreme measures. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ-frzt! The mosquito suddenly burned up to infinity, and any remains would get caught up by the wind and spread across the forest. What a pitiful death... But still, it didn’t give the unicorn any peace to his mind. The constant attacks from the flying plagues were just one of the many things that annoyed him in this forest. The dirty mud, the dark nights, the constant feeling of being watched… It was like the whole place was made for the soul reason alone to keep ponies away from it. It was not like he had imagined it back in the prison… And still he was here. In one week, they had been walking in what seemed like a cave full of traps and they had already fought off three manticors and two pony-eating plants. And his feeling that they were walking around in circles didn't make things any better. It was night, and Deathoak did wonder how Shadowblade could read that map in the darkness. Their leader had had his snout stuck in that map ever since they got to this place. He hadn't been saying anything to them other than 'we lay camp here' and let's move'. But come to think about it, nopony had said much since they got here. It was like the forest suck out the conversations out of them. Even Lightningbolt, which usually was quite the loud mouth, seemed to saving her energy. Everpony was always on high alert for anything. He hadn't made any progress with his spell either. There was a lot of small animals to catch as test subjects, yes, but it wasn't really... the most peaceful study environment, so to say. Although he had been thinking about what to try once he would be out of here. Since the spirit had easily breached through the barrier, he needed to make the barrier strong by- BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Oh, but you got to be kidding me! Again, he started to charge up his magic to burn the forty-third mosquito for that day when the dark trees suddenly thinned out. “Seems like we are here…” Their leader said and folded up the map he had been given before their journey. The thick trees gave away to revile a large glade in the middle of this Celestia-forsaken forest. The moon lit up a large, stone building in the middle of the clearing that looked to be some kind of ancient temple. It wasn’t a huge castle exactly, but its architecture was still impressive. It was formed like a box, with a pyramid shaped roof o top of it. An expert critic would say that it was horrible out of style, but luckily for the temple, none of the ponies were modern temple designers. A simple “Wow…” slipped out from Lightningbolt’s mouth and the rest of the ponies were speechless. Just the sight of knowing that they had finally were here after all their traveling was enough to take their breath out of them. This was when their mission truly began: The temple of Sheolx. Eventually, Faceless spoke up. “So… What do we do no?” Shadowblade recovered and looked at Faceless. “Now, we take the Stone and get out of here.” The small group walked towards the huge door that seemed to be the entrance into the stone temple. As they approached, As Deathoak approached, he could see that there was a statue on top on the pyramid-shaped roof. It represented a unicorn that was looking sternly at any pony approaching from their direction. The unicorn had its horn lowered like it was ready to charge out from the roof, and its face expression was filled with determination. It gave Deathoak the creeps. Suddenly, Shadowblade signaled them to stop some meters away from the entrance. “Deathoak!” he screamed. The unicorn woke up from his thoughts. “Y-yes sir?” “Come here!” The black stallion walked a bit nervously to the front of the line, the scar on his cheek still fresh in his memory. “What does it say?” Shadowblade pointed at a large rune that Deathoak somehow had missed from the back of the row. There were large, crude symbols engraved on it. He examined them closer. “It is written in ancient Equestrian,” he noted. “It is an ancient language originally used before the rule of Celestia because…” “Skip the history lessons, I asked if you can read it?” Deathoak muttered something but took another look at the rune. “I’m not a professional at this, but it says something like:” ‘Here lies the temple of Sheolx Founded by the sisters Guarded by the circle To seal the creation of the third Until it can be –something- (can’t make out what it says here) If you know how, proceed If you know not, walk away’” He looked back into the crippled face. “And that is pretty much it!” Shadowblade gave the expression that he was thinking. “This ‘circle’ the rune mentioned… Who are they?” “I’m not sure, it can be about anypony! I don’t know how far back this temple stretches. All I can tell is that it was not before the rule of Celestia and Luna, because they both are mentioned in the rune.” “Is there anything else you can decipher from the rune?” He shook his head. “Nothing more than that whatever is in there, Celestia intends to keep it that way.” “So no warnings of traps or anything like that?” The black unicorn looked confused at Shadowblade. “Warnings? Why would it be that?” “Steelaxe told us to look out for traps, and if I was building this temple I would lay a trap somewhere here and lay a warning in front of it. Some kind of puzzle or something that would make the reader aware of the situation and avoid it.” He looked meaning at Deathoak. “Hmm, I guess you have point. Well, to me, the rune seems to be more of a ‘don’t-put-your-nose-in-Celestia’s-business’ warning then an ‘watch-out-for-traps’ warning, but I can move ahead with a barrier spell if you want…” Shadowblade made a pleased nod. “Go ahead…” He nodded and channeled up an average-advanced barrier spell around him. With some careful steps, he passed the rune. Nothing happened. He turned around. “Seems pretty clear to me.” “Keep walking until you reach the door,” He shrugged and kept moving. He watched where he moved his barrier for any signs of trap holes or snares, but it all was just the same mud he had always walked in the past 8 days. A barrier wasn't like clothes that followed Deathoak wherever he walked or something like that. A barrier was more like a pellucid wall that you had to move telepathically if you wanted it to follow you, so Deathoak had to be careful. The difficulty of casting the barrier was, of course, determined by how strong and complex the barrier would be, but it took a big concentration effort to actually move one around. That's why barriers were more used to protect key buildings and positions rather than a combat spell. A unicorn would be making more use of himself if he showered the enemy with magic bolts instead of carrying around a large magic wall. He had past one quarter from the path he needed to walk, and nothing had really hap- BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Oh sweet Celestia please don’t say he had did what he think he just ha- BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Yes, he had indeed done what he thought he had done. The mosquito buzzed around him inside the barrier, trying to breach its way back to freedom. ARGH what he hated those pesky little things! And he couldn’t just cast a spell to kill the it like he had done with most of its kind, because the spell would only bounce around the barrier and deal him equally amount of damage. He had to deal with it some other way… BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ The bug had decided that flying around Deathoak’s face was probably the best thing to do when you were trapped inside a strange force field. Annoyed, the unicorn tried to wave the plague away, not realizing where he moved his barrier… Suddenly, a loud *click* sound made Deathoak stop dead in his tracks. The sound was followed with the noise of cogs and mechanisms spinning and moving from the top of the temple. He took a step back and saw that his shield had collided with a hidden button on the ground. “Oh no…” The statue suddenly began to make creaky sounds, as it moved its hoofs a little stiffly. Then it started to move its head and eventually its torso. It looked down at its body, inspecting everything. When it was done with the examination, his stone eyes fell upon the intruders. “I know this is a little bit late to say but I think Shadowblade was right when he said there would be traps…” Lightningbolt said a bit anxious. “EVERYPONY, BATTLE POSITIONS!” Everypony did as their leader screamed. Quickly, they dropped all their equipment and drew forth their weapons from their respective backs. Deathoak quickly teleported out from the barrier and behind the team as he prepared to send some a blasts at the statue on the roof. But it wasn’t there. “WATCH OUT!” Smacher suddenly screamed, only to find himself jumping aside as the stonepony suddenly landed where Smacher’s head had been two seconds earlier. The living thing quickly recovered from its 10 meters long jump from the roof and charged directly at the opponent it recently had missed. It was remarkable fast for being made out of pure stone, and it was only in the last second that Smacher managed to swing his gigantic spiked-club into the stone thing’s lowered head. The heavy blow sent the it flying over the meadow clearing and it crashed two meters away from its attacker into the mud. It got up on its hoofs almost instantly. The only thing that signed that it actually had been hit at all was the long crack running through its right temple. Smacher gasped. "That hit would have ripped of any statues head!" he said chocked. The thing charged again, this time against Lightningbolt. "What is that thing!?" Lightningbolt shouted out before she avoided being pierced by the horn. It might have been quick, but it was nothing against Lightningbolt. She easily dodged another attack from its horn and saw an opening in the statue's defenses. She landed a quick slash at its hard neck, but it only left a scratch. The thing didn't even winced from the attack as it turned around and made another attempt to spear the red-haired mare. Lightningbolt wasn’t prepared for the thing to actually be completely unaffected from what otherwise would have decapitate a pony, so it was with much effort that she managed to parry the horn with her sword. Deathoak saw an opportunity for a clear shoot, and a black missile suddenly hit the ponyfied gargoyle right in its stomach. The sudden attack made it lose its balance, just enough for Lightningbolt to deal another blow to its neck. The statue didn’t even flinch again. It looked around, confused from being attacked in two different directions at the same time. Its curiosity was greeted with another black bolt, this time hitting its head, making stone chips whirl up all around it. The thing shook of the magic missile like it was a paper plane and charged against the unicorn instead. Deathoak quickly teleported behind it and tried some fireballs instead. He made a mental facepalm when he realized that fire against stone might not have been his brightest idea that evening... Seeing its target suddenly disappear, the living statue stopped in the middle of the charge and began to look at the other ponies around it for another target to attack. The short second was all that Faceless needed. She wasn’t the fighter of the group, but she could handle a knife in situation like this. With a fast movement with her hoof, she pierced the walking monument’s left eye. She smiled with success as she felt her dagger penetrate the stone eye. But the joy was short lived. Her opponent quickly turned around, still with her knife in its eye, and bucked her hard in the chest. The sound from something cracking echoed through the clearing, and Faceless collapsed shocked into the dirty mud. Satisfied of feeling that it had hit, the stone guardian turned around and looked down at Faceless, who was gasping for air. “No!!” Shadowblade began charging maniacally at the rock with his two swords high up in the air. His running style reminded Deathoak of an ape, and he held the two swords with his front hoofs like an ape too. The statue was lowering its head to deal the final blow to the light grey pony crawling around in the smudge, but before it could do anything else, the two steel swords cut swiftly through its horn. The horn fell decapitated to the ground, leaving the stone statue to piercing wildly in the air. Confused from the sudden loss of body part, the statue took some steps back. Shadowblade continued to deal rapid blows with his swords, but each hit only dealt a minor cutting mark at the stone hide. Eventually, the rock-unicorn recovered. It rose up on its back legs and started to sweep its fore hoofs around widely. Silenstword was hit by one and stumbled to not lose his balance. The stone-monster saw its chance and headbutt the stumbling defender. Shadowblade fell cursing to the ground and with a quick roll, he evaded a heavy stomp that splashed up some mud to his face. He jumped back up again, just to be greeted with another headbash to his already mistreated face. He groaned and made a short jump backwards to distance himself from his enemy. Whatever it was it seemed impossible to take down. He suddenly gasped! Faceless! She was defenseless now! The rock seemed to have thought the same thing as it quickly turned around towards the helpless mare on the ground. Shadowblade tried to reach into melee again but he knew he would be too late. The thing rose up on its back hinds and stomped hard. Shadowblade looked away, preparing to hear the screams of the mare when her neck was being crushed by a pair of solid stone hoofs. The scream never came. He opened his eyes again. Faceless was gone, but the stone pony was still there, looking confused at the brown spot of mud where the mare should have been laying. Smacher joined the battle again, and this time, he mashed his weapon right into the ponies back. The thing found itself being sandwiched between the ground and the over-sized mace, and now it was it that was lying on the spot Faceless had been in for some seconds. Smacher continued to smash the stone thing, hitting it back to the ground every time it desperately tried to get up. Shadowblade was pleased with the sight, but where was Faceless? He looked around, and to his relief, he found her standing up with Deathoak and Lightningbolt. -- “Woa!” Lightningbolt looked impressed at Deathoak. Faceless was lying on the ground, still in deep pain from being bucked hard by two large stones. “I knew you could teleport yourself but you can teleport others as well??” “Yes I can!” Deathoak responded frustrated. “Please be quiet now, I must try to heal Faceless bon-“ He completely lost his speech when Faceless suddenly stood up, and started to brush of the mud from her cloak. “I appreciate the offer, but I am completely fine thank you!” she said with her usual elegant voice. Deathoak just stared. “B-but you shouldn’t be fine!” he eventually managed to say. “Even I, who stood all the way over here, heard clearly as your ribs broke!” She giggled. “Hoho, whatever you heard my dare, I can assure you it was only the wind playing you a trick!” Faceless could swear that the black unicorn’s jaw would touch the ground. “B-but…” “Sorry to interrupt, but we have bigger probl-“ Lightningbolt looked over to the statue, just to find that it had turned to Smacher’s personal punching bag. “You know what, never mind!” She started walking towards the now immobilized enemy, curious as usual. “I must say I’m equally interested as Lightningbolt to see what that thing was,” Faceless said and trotted after Lightninbolt with her head high up like somepony from the upper class. T-that is just not normal, Landstrider thought before started to catch up with the rest of the group. Smacher had stopped hitting the statue and was now examinee it closer. It was still in one piece (except for the horn), but its body was now filled with cracks and openings. It was staring aimlessly into nothing, moving less. A silent exhale of relief slipped out from everypony when they had accepted the fact that it was now dead. Faceless pulled her knife away from the statue’s eye. “What exactly was that thing anyway?” she then asked. “I don’t know, but I’m glad that it is dea-“ Lightningbolt swallowed her words when the crippled piece of art suddenly started move again. “Get back!” Smacher screamed and raised his heavy mace again, but before he could land another devasting blow, a large dark-blue light flashed him, making him fumble around aimlessly. Everypony took a step back in confusion from the sudden light and when they got hold of themselves again, the statue was gone. Before anypony had time to comment on this, Shadowblade was suddenly tackled from his left side and flung on the already confused Smacher. The stone pony quickly turned to the next closest pony, which was Lighntinbolt, and charged with its horn-less head lowered threatening. Lightninbolt dodged it. “D-did it just teleport?” Deathoak asked confused as he watched Lightningbolt parry another charge from the stone guardian. Shadowblade swore something again and got up in his hoofs. “Deathoak! How the hay do we take it down, since swords and maces do not work!” The unicorn winced uncomfortable. “W-why would I know? I didn’t create this thing!” “You are the only one of us familiar with magic, so you better start coming up with something!” Another steel-to-stone noise echoed loudly as the fast mare dealt another blow to the unstoppable force. It had the same effect as the last time it was struck with a sword. Deathoak closed his eyes to be able to concentrate better. “It definitely teleported, so it is not some kind of machine… And it isn’t an organic being either, since it wouldn’t be able to use magic without its horn…” “Deathoak! We need to know how to stop it, not what it is!” Shadowblade shouted angry. “G-guys, a little help here?” The living rock had started to shoot out dark-blue missiles out from the hole in the head, and Lightningbolt was losing ground quickly. “Shut up! I’m thinking!” Deathoak groaned but he conjured a temporary barrier between Lightningbolt and the missile caster that gave the quick mare just enough time to close in melee again. “…And because it isn’t organic, it must be supplied with magic energy in some other way… Yes, it would be possible to fill a gemstone with enough energy to make an object moveable, and with the right spell, it could easily be told to guard or kill somepony that tried to close in on the palace! Yes, it all makes sense! And I accidently activated its attacking mechanism when I pushed down that button!” He turned back to Shadowblade. “Shadowblade! I think I know how we can defeat it!” Shadowblade blocked a missile that the statue had accidently missed Lightningbolt with. “Do you care to tell us?” “Listen very carefully: whatever that is, it is probably powered by a gemstone. The gemstone has limited energy charged in it, and that is why it only used it as a last resort! We can either force it to use up all its energy or we can find and destroy the gem. Forcing it to use its energy can be risky: we don’t know how much energy there is powering up this thing. It could also have several backup gems in case the active one runs out, so it could take up to days before it is completely drained. And even if it does runs out of all its energy, it could be told to blow up itself just before it dies. No, I suggest we try to find and destroy the potential gems instead.” “Where are these ‘gemstones’?” He thought about it for a second. “Hmm, I would guess that whoever made that thing placed the gems in normally vital spots, like it was a real pony. Inside its head, or the heart I guess.” “So head or heart?” “Or it could be where magic is originally created in a unicorn, which is the horn, but since we have already cut it out…” “Okay, Smacher, you got that?” Smacher slammed his hoof against his chest and nodded eagerly. Pleased with the answer, Shadowblade turned to Faceless. “You stay here. Your dagger will not be able to reach deep enough for the gems anyway.” The mare made a slight nod. “Jag förstår,” she whispered softly. ”Var bara försiktig, okej?” Shadowblade didn’t answer, but turned to Deathoak instead. “You! Can you with your magic somehow paralyze it or make it unable to move?” “W-well I could try hold it in place, but depending on how much energy it has it would only be a matter of time before it breaks out again…” “Alright, on my mark I want you to do just that! Alright everypony, move out!” -- Lightningbolt panted heavily. It felt like the statues speed and strength grow for every attack she dodged or parried, and her counter attacks became less frequent for every second. The red headed mare had been superior the solid-moving thing early in the battle, but now she felt like passing out from exhaustion. Her sword started to feel heavier than she remembered it being when she first bought it from the smith. She might be at a disadvantage but she wouldn't go down without a fight! Why weren’t the others helping her? She lifted her weapon just in time to prevent a hoof striking her shoulder out of joint. The stone-pony recovered faster than she did this time, and she looked up just in time to see how the thing's head came smashing down into her upper torso. With a loud moan, she fell to the sticky mud and dropped the sword in pure confusion. But she knew she hadn't time to look for it now. She made a quick roll, dodging a stomp that would have pulverized her skull and looked up. The statue stood mighty before her, looking twice as large than it really was from her grounded point of view. Its vandalized face was determined, focused. It would kill her without a second thought, without a blink (could it blink even if it tried?). She knew she couldn't roll around forever. It would eventually get her, and that would be the end for Blaze Lightningbolt. Despite it all, she couldn't help herself from laughing. She had heard so much about 'the-second-before-you-die' moments that she almost felt disappointed that her life wasn't flashing by in front of her. The statue lifts its hooves up high, preparing to do the final stomp. She closed her eyes. “DEATHOAK! NOW!” The voice came from Shadowblade, and suddenly, a black aura surrounded the rock pony. Lightningbolt looked up confused, just in time to see Shadowblade leap out from nowhere and digging his steel swords deep inside the stone pony’s upper body. The accuracy was frightening. If it had been a normal pony, it would now have found its heart had just been pierced. There was a second were nothing happened. The statue was completely still. “I-is it dead?” Shadowblade asked. “No, it is still struggling to break free from my spell! The gem must be inside his head then!” Shadowblade nodded and tried to pull out his swords. Surprised, he almost fell of the pony's back when the swords didn't move an inch from its position. They were stuck. “Get off from that thing! I can’t hold it much longer!” “Give me a second!” Shadowblade screamed as he made another desperate pull but giving the same result as before. “Argh, he will be free in any second now…” With those words, the black aura was replaced with a dark blue one and the statue pony began to kick widely in the air to get the intruder off its back. The fight turned into a rodeo festival, where Shadowblade desperate tried to hang on the mad architecture, as it swept up mud everywhere in its try to kick him off. Eventually, the thing succeeded, sending him flying several meters away, and the sword still in its back. Shadowblade glared horrified as the pony approached him with his own weapons attached to its back. “Smacher!” he screamed commanding. Not a moment too late, the strong pony swung his mace in a horizontal motion and hit the thing right on the spot he had hit it the first time. The hit made the earlier crack break open, and it forced the statue to take some steps back. If Deathoak had found it creepy before, it was nothing compared to now. Out from the large gap on the statue's face was a dark blue light shining brightly, and its other half of the face had so many cracks that it surely win second place in a “most wrinkles” competition. This, in addition to the two swords sticking out from its back, made the thing look like it just recently had jumped straight out from some horrifying alien fiction. “That’s it! That’s the gem!” Deathoak shout, pointing at the glowing part of the statue. Before anypony had time to answer, the thing started to shot out sparks from its entire body, sending out force waves that send the four ponies around him flying away from it. The dark aura intensified and formed a bubble around it, which gradually got bigger and bigger. Eventually, the sphere had grown three meters in diameter, and was still expanding. Everything the blob touched was consumed; mud, ground, stones, grass, everything. You could still see the statue standing inside the dark blue energy, but the flying materia clouded the vision. “W-what does it do Deathoak?” Shadowblade asked, terrified at the sight. It wasn't many things he hadn't seen before, and that was one of them. “I-I have no idea, but whatever it is I don’t wanna find out!” Shadowblade grabbed his cloak tighter to his chest to endure the winds coming from the thing. “Take it down then! Shot it with that magic thing you had earlier, or I don’t care! Just take it down!” Deathoak charged up some shoots but his black magic got easily washed away by the blue aura blub. His attacks attacks were equally useful as water hitting a fortress wall. “I-I can’t reach it!” he whimpered as he desperate tried another spell that was equally inefficient. Faceless and Lightningbolt had started to shower the blue orb with daggers, but they were blown away as they hit the magic. This was not good. Whatever it was doing, it was going to be huge. Deathoak saw no choice but to try to penetrate its soul. If it had one. He teleported to a safe distant and started to expand his mind. He went pass his fellow comrades and went inside magic ball surrounding the thing. As he unfortunately had expected, he found nothing. It had no soul. Well, that left him back with one option, and it would going to be dangerous... He withdraws back to his body and started immediately to charge up the spell. He was putting all his energy in to this attack, and it would probably end his life in the progress. What he was trying to do was what he called a 'deathbeam'. Of course was it a spell he had invented himself, but that didn't make it original. He was certain that there were more 'refined' forms of the spell somewhere inside the Canterlot archives, but this was the best thing he could figure out on his own hoof. It was simply a beam of pure energy, and sending out such a concentrated beam of energy was dangerous, not only to the caster himself, but also to all ponies around. That is why he had called it 'deathbeam'. Ironically that one of his own spell would end up to be the thing that killed him... Suddenly, the large blue aura around the statue disappeared. Surprised, Deathoak stopped power up for the 'deathbeam', and watched in shock as the statue collapsed in the middle of the scorched ground around it. The intense magic that had until recently surrounding the thing had disappeared under just a second. It was like somepony had turned off a switch. It was quite absurd. The swords still there Shadowblade had left them, and no pony really knew what to do or what to expect from this scene. Was it dead? Or was it a part of its spell? Silent stepped out from a shadow and approached the laying monster on the ground. No pony said anything, as he crouched down and grabbed something from inside the things head. It looked like a broken crystal. “H-he got the gemstone! He actually took the thing down!” Deathoak shouted out astonished. “H-how is that possible? And where have that guy been all the time?” Shadowblade could give him at least one answer. “That is Silent’s why of fighting. He hides and waits until he sees the right time to strike, and when he does strike, it is a guarantee kill.” Deathoak raised an eyebrow at Shadowblade. “So you mean that while the rest of us are getting our flanks kicked, he sits in the background and relaxes??” Deathoak received an angry glaze for that statement. “Let me remind you Deathoak that he is the one standing victoriously over the statue and not you! So before you spit out your insults you should try to be more efficient yourself!" Shadowblade looked back at Silent. "We all have our roles in this group, and his role is not to fight in the frontline! Now, let’s go and see what really happened…” He started walking towards the fallen opponent, followed by Faceless and Smacher. Lightningbolt had found her sword again and was giving Deathoak a friendly slam on his back. “Do not make Silent your enemy,” she whispered to him. “He is somepony you want on your side, if you know what I mean…” Deathoak just muttered something irritated in return and caught up with the rest of the group. Eventually, all members of the group were looking down at the broken statue. Its head was now empty, and the swords hadn’t moved an inch from the completely cracked back. It looked more like somepony had glued a lot of stones together more than an actually statue. It lied horribly still, and after having been fooled once by the lifeless monument, they were on high alert to not be that twice. Eventually, after having silently observed the thing for minutes, Shadowblade finally concluded what everypony had started to figure out. "It is dead alright..." he said damped. Almost robotic, everypony turned their head towards Silent. Their eyes begged him for an answer to this mystery. Without a word or emotion, Silent simply held forth the thing he had removed from the head to answer their hungry gazes. It was indeed a gemstone, and it was not the cheap stuff either. It was a crystal, the most valuable gemstone in Equestria and famous for its capability of storing large amount of energy at once. A rare item like this could almost only be found deep inside the Zebrarian deserts. Now, the pink jewel was utterly pierced by a weird looking piece of steel, making the precious stone as valuable as a rotten apple. The weapon that had pierced it, however, was the next thing that caught the ponies’ attention. It was not a knife or anything like a normal weapon ponies would use. It looked like a four-edged-star, were the edges were curved as swords and one of the edges were deep inside the middle of the gemstone. The other ponies in the group had no idea what it was, but Deathoak recognize the weapon immediately. “It's... It’s really a…” Silent removed the piece from the crystal and put it back in a hidden pocket in his cloak. He dropped the crystal itself, making it fall next to the fallen enemies scattered head. “How did you get your hoofs on a magical weapon like that? Only goblins are able to make those things, and they live far beyond the jungles!!” Silent ignored the question and started making his path towards the entrance. Deathoak just glared shocked after him. “Is there anything special about those weird looking stars Silent is carrying? To me, it looks like a rather unpractical way to shape a dagger in,” Lightningbolt’s curious voice asked. “It isn’t a dagger, it is a 'shuriken'. They are made from a special piece of steel called ‘goblin steel’, simply because only goblins can mine it. The steel is immune to all kinds of magic, making it cut through any barrier like it was thin air. That's why he managed to hit the thing when our daggers and spells just bounced away!” Shadowblade gave Deathoak an interesting look. “We get some goblin traders from time to time up in Scardiva,” he explained. “They sell all sorts of weaponry, maybe I should pay one a visit once we get back home…” “I am just glad that that dreadful thing finally is dead…” Faceless flipped he head over, making the non-broken side visible. "But I am not so pleased with our clothes being so dirty in the progress. Especially since I know who will be forced to wash the stains away from them afterwards..." Lightningbolt completely ignored her whinning and picked up the crystal. "Heh, it must be a hay of a throw! Imagine hitting that little gap with a weird-shaped knife from that distance!" Lightningbolt pointed at the shadows Silent had emerged from earlier. “Do not forget that we still have a mission. Everypony, get your stuffs and Smacher, pull back my swords. Then let’s move on to the door.” The other agreed with Shadowblade. It would be a relief once they left that dead stone monster behind them... The swords were no match for Smacher, and Shadowblade took the lead as the ponies walked to the entrance. But on their way there, Deathoak stopped. “Go without me, I have a business to take care of.” He turned around towards the rune he had read earlier. As he thought, the black barrier he had created when he had accidently pushed down the button was still where he had left it. And just as before, there was a familiar tiny creature buzzing around in it, trying still to make an escape… Suddenly, everypony jumped back startled from a loud sound of a big explosion right behind them. Several birds flew panicked away from the nearby tree, and the bushes around them rustled as scared mammals tried to make a run from the sound. They turned around alarmed, only to find Deathoak jumping joyfully skipping back to the group. “Oh, don’t mind the explosion,” he said gaily. “I just said thanks to a little friend of mine for making me release that statue earlier…” -- “Deathoak!” “Yeye, I’m coming.” The entrance was a normal sized stone door, with no pull or any other decoration. Next to it was that weird rune-script they had seen earlier. Deathoak translated. “A princess is powerful enough to enter the temple.” He went silent. The rest of the party waited impatiently for him to continue. Eventually, he turned back again. “That’s it!” Shadowblade looked skeptical at Deathoak. “Sure there is not more to it?” “Nope!” “Nothing about how we should get inside the temple or anything?” “Not more than a princess seems to be able to get through somehow…” There was a short second of silence. “Lightningbolt, take a look around the temple for other clues or entrances.” “Yes sir!” the mare said eagerly and after four brief seconds, she was back. “There is only one door, and it is this one. The rest is just a long, boring wall.” “Well, that wasn’t very helpful…” Faceless said. Another second of silence. “What do you think, Deathoak? You are the one reading the script,” Shadowblade eventually said. The unicorn scratched his horn uncertain. “Well, it is pretty unclear to me… The script seems more like a statement than guidance…” “I saw you teleport back in the fight,” Lightningbolt pointed out. “Can you not just teleport yourself inside?” Deathoak shock his head. “No, Teleporting to distances you cannot see is extremely dangerous. If there is a wall or obstacle where I’m teleporting, the body parts that should have been where the obstacle is will not be teleported. For an example, if I teleport to a place that have a stone covering where my head should be, my body will be teleported but my head will be separated and left behind.” Shadowblade groaned. “When intelligence fails, let the muscle talk. Smacher!” “Yes?” “Smash the door.” “I was just waiting for you to say that!” Smacher turned his back hoofs towards the door and bucked it heavily. Dust flew everywhere as the door collapsed from the blow, revealing a dark passage inside the temple. “Nice kick Smacher!” Lightningbolt gave the large pony a quick slap on the back. He gave her a hidden smile before returning back to the end of the line. Deathoak gasped. “Well, that was unexpectedly easy…” he said flabbergasted, but then the pieces fell to their right places. “But of course! The script was not a statement, it was a challenge! The door was strong enough to withstand anything from a normal pony, but Smacher isn’t exactly a normal pony is he?” Shadowblade shrugged his shoulders. “As long as we are inside, I do not care,” he said sarcastically and took a long look inside the temple. “We are going to need light if we are going to continue from here. Faceless, fetch me a torch from one of those trees-“ “Don’t worry, I got this!” The black unicorn interrupted and began light up the night with his horn. Shadowblade looked surprised at the glowing horn. “Seems like that magic of yours have more usage then I thought…” he then said astonished. Deathoak grinned. “Being a unicorn has its advantages,” he said, and took the lead inside. The inside of the temple was narrow, and the walls were painted in a dark blue color on one of the side and light yellow on the other. Deathoak easily figured out they represented dawn and night, with other words Celestia and Luna. He spit at the yellow side in disgrace. The roof was colored green, and it was just high enough for Smacher to walk through without having to crouch. It was dark and dusty, and lonely spiders crawled between their hooves from time to time, searching for a good place to fetch their nets. Other than the large echoing from their steps, everything was silent. Deathoak was for obvious reasons leading the group. It was in moments like these he wished he hadn’t had black as his natural energy. Now he was forced to manipulate the color of his light so it could actually shine in the darkness, instead of joining it. Right after him was Shadowblade, followed by Faceless, Lightningbolt, Smacher and Silent. The tension in the air was unmistakable. If they recently had been attacked by a ponyfied gargoyle, who knows what would be the next? Eventually, the hall walls widened. Deathoak was forced to increase the strength of the illumination spell in order to light up the room they were in. The brighter light revealed a medium-sized room, leading to another corridor. The corridor walls were filled with strange-looking holes and in front of it was a stone with those weird letters on it. Deathoak got right on the job. “The temple of Sheolx contains three tasks To tell friend and foe apart The first one lies before you If you got wings, then you may pass Otherwise turn back where you came from” He looked back to the group of earth ponies that he was accompanied with. “Well, then we are screwed…” he said disappointed. “Light up the next corridor,” Shadowblade ordered him. He did, and the light showed that the corridor stretched some few meters straight forward before it turned right, and all the walls was still covered with those mysterious holes. “It is obvious that those holes shot out daggers or something like it when you step on them,” Shadowblade said, almost disappointed that it wasn't anything harder. “Look now.” He approached the corridor and without getting his body in line-of-sight of those holes, he touched one of the lime stones that were covering the corridor in front of them. As he had predicted, the limestone was pushed down, and several dark blue missiles came charging out from the holes just some feet away from the grey assassinator. He grinned. “To obvious,” he said again. “Lightningbolt, you think you can run through all that?” The red haired mare winched uncomfortable. She had had too much encounters with magic for one day, in her opinion, and she was still a little bit weary from the last fight. “Well, yes I suppose I can…” she said avoiding. “Good, then jump right to it-“ “Wait, wait, wait!” Deathoak stepped in front of Lightningbolt before she could charge right in to the mass of arcane missiles. “Just after she reaches that corner, she would be running in complete dark! Remember that I’m the only light source here!” Shadowblade nodded understanding. “Hmm, you are right… What do you propose?” “I got the solution, just give me a second.” Suddenly, Lightningbolt was surrounded with the black aura from Deathoak’s magic. Unease by magic in general, she took some steps back worried. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing dangerous,” Deathoak assured, as he filled the mare’s skin with his magic. Slowly, the grey skin started to glow in a faint, white light. At first, it was almost unnoticed able, but the more Deathoak charged her, the brighter she glowed. Eventually, the grey mare alone out-lighted Deathoak’s own horn. “Puh,” the unicorn panted tired when he find himself done. The mare examined her body excited. Her tail, torso, back hinds… Everything was glowing! She felt like she had turned into a mini-sun, and it felt awesome! “Woa! Cooool, I am shinning!” “The spell only lasts for a couple of minutes, so you better start moving before it disappears,” he puffed out exhausted. She took a longer look at her now glowing hoof and then looked back agitated at him. “This is so cool! Thanks Deathoak!” “Just run!” She rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said and spurted out into the mysterious trap. Just after the first steps she remembered why she had hesitated earlier. The missiles flew scarily close to her body, as she stepped on each new stone plate. She lost her concentration for a brief second, almost making her almost forgot that the corridor turned right just after some meters. In the last second, she managed to make the turn and the group lost sight of her as she continued to run through the hall way. The magic danger whistled behind her, and some were so close that she could feel the wind from them pass by her flank. She looked up to calculate how long she would have to run, but she could only see as far as her glowing skin allowed her. Beyond that were only darkness. This corridor could be endless. But after some seconds of running, she started to get used to it. After all, running was her special talent! The wind in her mane, the danger flying behind her, the challenge to reach the end before the light goes out… This was life! Not to mentioning her body was shinning! She couldn’t help enjoying it! Living dangerous was her middle name after all! Blaze ‘Dangerous’ Lightningbolt! Yea, it sounded pretty awesome… Eventually, the hallway turned right again. She easily switched the running direction with a swagger snort. Is that all you got? She thought to the ceiling, like it was representing the temple. I could do this while I’m asleep! She turned her look back to the path and gasped. She didn’t though there would be another right turn that short after the second! She tried to force her body to turn right, but she was unprepared. She slipped, but immediately managed regain her balance and continued to run down the hall. But the brief second of lost momentum was all the missiles needed. One flew right over her flank, grazing through her cloak. She bit her lip hard as she could feel the projectile burn her skin as it passed by. She had been lucky it hadn’t flied any lower. She had built up her speed again, but she still felt like the missiles was flying pass her flank all the time. That burning heat from that last one seemed to be somehow spreading across her flank. She made a quick glance back to see what was going on with her butt when she suddenly let out a horrifying beep. Her cloak had caught fire, and was spreading down to her tail. She looked like she was farting out fire. She screamed. The phrase ‘running like your tale is on fire’ suddenly seemed very suiting, as Lightningbolt galloped faster than she ever had done before. The endless hallway suddenly seemed more frustrating than a challenge as the smoke behind her began darkening her glowing skin. She made a short pray to the ancestors that the trap should soon end, and that she would survive it. Not for that she was very religious but she wanted to die honorably in a battle, and not in some lousy trap designed by some weirdo unicorns. She cursed. She saw another turn approaching, this time to the left. Who knew how many more turns she would be forced to do? She started to feel the flames eat her skin, as her whole tail now had been burned off. If she wasn’t trying to put out the fire soon, she would burn to death. She made the left turn, and suddenly, the walls ended. Just like that, the long, narrow corridor she had recently ran through, was now gone. Was the trap really over? She made another loud scream when the fire finally reached her flesh and started tormenting her. That was it: she would rather die from magic penetrating her skull than slowly burning to death. She throws herself at the ground and started to roll around like she had been thought to do when she was a little filly. Luckily, the fire hadn’t grown too large, and she eventually managed to suffocate the flames before it spread to her legs. With an immense pain in her flank, she slowly rose up and realized to her surprise that her brain hadn't been penetrated by a magic missile. In fact, other than her backside, she was unscratched. “Lightningbolt! Oh please Nightmare Moon make her answer!” She recognized the echoing voice belonging to non-other than Deathoak. “I am fine! My tail caught on fire but I managed to put it out!” she screamed back to Deathoak. “Oh thank Nightmare Moon you are alr-” “Lightningbolt, where are you now?” The muffled voice was not hard to decipher as her captain. “I do not know exactly…” She started to look around. She seemed to be in some kind of small room, and on the other side of it was a door. In front of the door were four levers and another of those stones with script on it. “It seems like I am in some kind of room, and there is this weird rune script here again…” She heard that the group mumbled amongst each other about what to do next. When they didn’t answer her immediately, she decided to explore the room some more. The room was about the size of the earlier room before the corridor trap and the walls was painted in equally manners as the entrance hall had been- wait a second, what was that? She walked closer to the thing sticking out of the wall. Her light revealed it to be another lever, and another script was next to it. She could hear the other ponies mumbling loud from here, like they were standing just behind that wall… -- “So what do you suppose we do know, Shadowblade?” Faceless looked impatiently at the sitting stallion. “We can’t trick this trap without wings, and Lightningbolt have no clue what to do next…” “Shut up, I am thinking!” Faceless immediately cut it. Smacher cleared his throat. “I could always smash down the walls…” “And bring the whole place down? Are you stupid? We need to come up with something else…” “There is one way I could try… But it’s a risky one…” All attention turned to the black unicorn that had been quiet until then. “I can localize where Lightningbolt is with a life-finding spell and then teleport us to her position. But as I said earlier, any tiny mistake with teleportation to places you cannot see is like rolling a dice…” Nopony said anything as they waited for a response from their leader. “You did a barrier earlier Deathoak,” he eventually said. “Do you think you could make another one for all of us so we could go through that mine field without getting hit by the missiles?” “I could always try, but don’t think it’s going to work. As you said earlier: think from the builders’ perspective. If I would have made this trap with the intention to only let Pegasi go through it, I would have made something against magic users.” “So teleportation is the only alternative then?” “I’m afraid it is…” Shadowblade slowly nodded. “Okay, do it.” The unicorn closed his eyes and started to focus up the same spell he had used during the test of ability. He felt the surrounding ponies first, along with some insects hiding in the cracks of the old architecture. He widened his search, and to his surprise, he didn’t have to look for long. He walked towards the right wall, the one with white coloring and touched the rough surface with his hoof. “She should be right behind this…” As he spoke, the wall suddenly sank to the ground, making him jump back startled. On the other side of the new opening stood a familiar glowing pony, and waved happily to the group. “Hi guys!” Lightningbolt’s grin widened when she saw their surprised faces. “Um, what did you do Deathoak?” Shadowblade asked confused. “I didn’t do anything, I have no idea what just happen…” “Oh, I saw this lever and I heard that you guys were on the other side of this wall so I thought it was some kind of secret passage, and I was right!” … “Seems like our problems are solved then…” Faceless eventually concluded but then she let out a violently scream! "W-what is it Faceless?" Lightningbolt asked as she saw that the mare's eyes were fixed on her. "Y-your c-cloak..." Faceless could barely finish the sentence. "Yea, I told you I accidently got on fire. But it is no problem right? You can always make me a new one right?" She took of her cloak and throw it over to Faceless. She caught it like she was catching her dead daughter. "I-I have put so much effort in to this one..." she eventually said, almost like she was crying. "But you can fix it right?" Lightningbolt asked again, this time emphasizing 'right'. "We don't have time for this, everypony get to the next room," Shadowblade said impatient. Lightningbolt waved them in, and everypony followed her into the new room except Faceless. She still held the piece of clothing in her hoofs. "There is no use... Once a garment is burned, it will never get back its full graze..." Like she was letting go from the past, she dramatically throw the cloak away from her and followed the others inside the room. Just at that moment everypony was inside, everything went suddenly dark. “Aww,” Lightningbolt said disappointed as she noted that her skin wasn't glowing anymore. Deathoak lit up the room the normal way and everypony looked around curiously. “It looks like a mind game,” Smacher said after seeing the four levers. “Let us not waste more time. Deathoak, get right to it.” The golden eyed pointed at the stone with the script on it. Deathoak cleared his throat. “The next task lies before you But this time to test your knowledge Read the question carefully and chose wisely The right answer leads you to the next task The wrong leads you to your doom If you do not know what to do The lever on the wall will let you home” Deathoak looked up. “It must be that one you pulled,” he said and pointed at the down turned lever Lightningbolt had pushed. “We are not stupid Deathoak, continue read,” Shadowblade said sarcastically. With a sigh, he continued. “The question follow as this: A grip I got but still I use magic A long life I have, but still I got perished But not for my sins, but for my deeds What am I?” Lightningbolt was the first one to respond. “What the hay is that for a question?” she asked annoyed. “That is not even a proper question!” Deathoak walked over to the four levers. “Let’s check the alternatives before we assume anything,” he said while observing the levers more closely. Each lever had a symbol carved above them, each representing different species. He deciphered them as he passed by. “Alicon… Dwarf… Elf… And Human.” “What the hay? The answers are even weirder than the question.” Lightning looked frustrated at the group. “Are not humans from those bed time stories when you were a filly? And what the hay is a ‘dwarf’ and an ‘elf’? It makes no sense!” “Dwarves and elves are both races that are now extinct. As for the humans, they are also extinct but they lived on much further than the two others,” Shadowblade explained annoyed to the young mare. “But why is…” “If anypony actually has something descent to say, then say it, otherwise shut up! Or even better: translate to Smacher what we all are saying instead of whining Lightningbolt. Then you can actually be to some use...” “Well, it cannot be the Alicorn, because they have no grip…” Faceless said. “I agree," Shadowblade said, a little bit calmer than before. "That leaves us to the Human, Elf and the Dwarf… Humans and Elves were known to have sorceress but not the dwarves, so I think we should count them out as well…” “I wouldn’t be so sure about,” Deathoak interrupted. “It is true that Dwarves couldn’t cast magic but they were definitely using magic. The way they enchanted their buildings and armors is still a mystery for today’s unicorns.” Shadowblade looked at Deathoak. “…so we should not exclude dwarves?” “The script clearly says ‘I still use magic’, not ‘I still cast magic’, so no, we should not exclude Dwarves from the right conclusion.” Shadowblade thought it through before nodding in agreement. “Fine, let’s move on to the next line: ‘A long life I have, but still I got perished’. Well, all three are ‘perished’ now but only elves and dwarves were known for their long lives…” “Yes, elves were immortal just like alicorns, and dwarves have around 10 times as long lives as ponies have. Humans on the other hoof only lived to their eighties.” “So it is up between the elves and the dwarves then?” “That seems like a logical assumption…” Faceless said. “Okay. ‘But not for my sins, but for my deeds’… I assume they are talking about how they got extinct?” Deathoak nodded. “Yes, I would guess that too.” “So… Elves got exterminated in a war right?” “Yes, a war against the apes. When they knew they would lose, they made a powerful curse that made the apes unable to march into their lands. But in return, they had to sacrifice themselves.” “And how did the dwarves die out?” The unicorn searched through his memories for any information regarding the case but he couldn’t find anything. “I-I’m not sure…” “They died in a volcano eruption,” Faceless suddenly said. “They dug to close to a volcano and accidently broke up a lava bunker that flooded them away. Pitiful death, if you ask me!” A volcano eruption? Deathoak couldn’t admit he had heard about it before… “Well, in that case, the answer is the weird dwarves!” Lightningbolt quickly dashed over to the four levers. “I want to pull the lever! Which one is it?” It took a breath before Deathoak had realized that the burned mare had asked him a question. “Um- it is that one.” He pointed at the second lever from the right. “This one?” She placed her hoofs eagerly around its handle. “Yes, that one.” She took a deep breath. “Okay then, here we g-“ “WAIT!” Lightningbolt stumbled and fell face first to the ground, without switching the lever. “Something is not right here…” Shadowblade said and lightened up his pipe. “What do you mean? I thought we had figured it out?” Lightningbolt said disappointed. He ignored her. “Deathoak, when do you think this temple was built?” Confused, Deathoak considered the information he had been given throughout the evening to form a conclusion. “Hmm, not before year 0 B.P (before princesses) I would guess based on what the scripts have said so far but not after 1000 A.P (after princesses) because of the fact that the language the script is written in is basically eradicated during the start of the first millennium.” Shadowblade looked annoyed at the Equetrian. “Deathoak, not in Equestria’s stupid timeline. How many years since the foundation of Scardiva?” he then said frustrated. The unicorn’s eyes began to dangle back and forth. “Um…” “The poor thing is talking about year 3568 to year 4568 dear, don’t push him to say something he understandingly have no idea the answer to.” Faceless had came to Deathoak’s rescue, but how could she know the exact date? It seems like Faceless is more educated than he thought a Scardivarian pony could be… “Right, thank you Faceless, and when was the dwarves exterminated?” “Um, if I remember it right, it was…” The mare suddenly gasped. “…during year 3897…” Deathoak winched astounded. “So that means…” “…That the dwarves might not have been ‘perished’ during the time this temple was build, which in turn makes the elves the correct answer, yes.” Everypony suddenly jumped backwards when the only pony that hadn't said anything yet in the group (except Silent) spoke up. “But what about the last line? If we assume this was written after the dwarves extinct, isn’t war a more ‘sinful’ deed than an accident?” Smacher asked puzzled. “Yes, you are right Smacher, we must look at all the alternatives,” their chief said with a smile. “But Deathoak, tell us why the war started.” Deathoak looked confused. “Because the apes tried to expand their territory…” “And why did the elves decided to sacrifice themselves?” Deathoak gasped. He had a feeling were this was going. “They did it to protect the forest's animals!” “Yes, not so sinful now was it? And Faceless, why did the dwarves dig so close to a volcano? As experts in mining, would they not know it would be too dangerous to go so deep into a volcano, hmm?” “They- they did it because they had detected some kind of large diamond there!” “Greed… How sinful is not that?” “So you mean that elves are the answer?” Shadowblade nodded. “Are you absolutely sure about this? Just a second ago, we were about to pull for dwarves…” The scarred pony gave Deathoak a stern look. “YOU were about to pull for the dwarves! I never said anything even close that dwarves were the right answer! My decision is final! Now, pull the lever for the lever that represents the elves.” “Oh, oh!” Lightningbolt said excited and was suddenly back on the spot. “Which one is it? Which one is it?” Deathoak sighed and pointed to the second lever from the left. “But before you pull…" Deathoak turned back to Shadowblade. "I’m not trying to be rude or anything Shadowblade, but with all due respect I hope you have thought about this twice.” “Deathoak, I always double think every decision I do. Lightningbolt, pull the switch.” “Will do boss!” she said exhilarated and before Deathoak could argue any further, the lever was already turned to the other side. Suddenly, the door in the room sank down to the ground, revealing a new room behind it. “Seems like Shadowblade was right after all!” Lightningbolt said and rushed into the next room. The rest of the ponies followed her, except for Deathoak. He was still stunned from the thought of how close they had been from pulling the wrong switch. His black face turned absurdly white. “Never questioning my decisions again,” Shadowblade whispered, as he passed him into the next room. -- When their walking candle eventually light up the room, everypony gasped in chorus. Just some steps away from them were a pillar sticking out from the ground, and on top laid a very desirable stone… “It-it is it, isn’t it?” Faceless stuttered out in her astonishment. “Last pony there is a retarded ape!” Lightningbolt suddenly shouted out and charged at the stone lectern. Shadowblade tried to catch the mare’s tail only to remember that it had been burned off. “Lightningbolt wait!” he screamed but it was already too late. Suddenly, Lightningbolt abruptly stopped like she had ran into a wall and she was flung back to the entrance were she had came from. She made a double spin in the air and fell flat on her stomach. “Ouf…” she cried out. She hadn’t much time to recover before Sahdowblade violently grabbed her by her throat. “Are you crazy? You could have get us all killed! There is still one task to complete, don’t you remember?” he said furiously. The mare didn’t answer. He dropped her and looked around for the next stone with script on it. As he had predicted, the rune stood some meters in front of their target. “Deathoak, what does it say?” With a quick teleport, Deathoak was in front of the tablet and began the usual procedure: “’You have come far And your eagerness is astounding This last task will hopefully be easy If your mind is clear And your heart is pure No problem should you have, in taking the ball However, if you are here for greed and chaos Out from your reach, the ball will be” When he was done, everypony sucked on the words for a moment. Nopony really knew what to make out from the script. But suddenly, Shadowblade began to laugh. He laughed loudly and long, and his snickering was bouncing between the walls, amplifying the impression that he was a madman. The laugh was a combination of darkness and amusement. It made everypony in the group shiver. Eventually, his crazy laughter turned to just some slight giggling. “How ironic,” he said, still panting from the laugh-attack. “No one of us can take the ball, despite all the efforts we have done to get here.” The ponies looked shocked at what their leader just had said. “I-I beg your pardon?” Faceless eventually said. “Oh, but can you not see it?” Shadowblade walked towards the stone and tried to reach for it, but his hoof bounced off as he closed in on it, like something invisible was shooting it back. “It is useless! Anypony, be my guest! The first pony that lays his or her hoof on the stone gets a wish something. Anything in my power, I will grant to you in return for the stone. Good luck!” He sat down next to a wall and reached for his pipe once again. The other ponies looked confused at each other. This behavior was not the Shadowblade any of them knew. “What are you waiting for? That the stone will magically be put into your mouth? Come on, get to work!” “Okay, I try first…” Deathoak said and slowly began to walk towards the stone. Some meters away from it, however, he collided with something, and was forced to take a step back. He put forth his hoof and touched some kind of invisible wall surrounding the pillar. It felt like… gummy. As he tried to push deeper into the wall, it curved inwards, and its resistance got stronger the further Deathoak penetrated it. “It is some kind of magical barrier…” he eventually noted. “That thing just sent me flying! Why does it not do the same to you?” Lightningbolt asked annoyed. “I do not know, but I have a theory…” He charged up a magic missile and launched it against the invisible barrier. As he had predicted, it only bounced away, hitting the ceiling and blowing up some dust. “I think the barrier shoots back anything that comes in contact with it. It is a darn hard spell to make, but it is possible.” “Get away my way,” a grumpy voice suddenly said, and Deathoak barely managed to step aside before a heavy mace came smashing down against the wall. The wall sent the weapon flying with even greater velocity than Lightningbolt earlier, and it ended up making a large crack on the wall. “Are you stupid?” Deathoak asked shocked. “It doesn’t work that way! It will only send your attacks back at you!” Smacher looked irritated at the tiny black unicorn. “Me not like your voice,” he then said, before stomping after his mace. “So you mean that everything we do will be sent back at us?” Faceless asked more politely. “Pretty much, yes. Unless we meet the right requirements.” “And those are?” “Didn’t you hear what I read some minutes ago? ‘If your mind is pure And your heart is clean No problem should you have, in taking the ball’ It is that simple!” Laughter rose from the wall again, as Shadowblade almost choke on his pipe from his snickering. “Oh, do not mind me. Hrmh, please continue,” he eventually said after he had recovered. Annoyed, Deathoak turned back to Faceless. “So we simply need to crack the puzzle, and then we would be able to break the barrier!” “You mean like Silent is doing right now?” Lightningbolt said and pointed towards the quiet pony, standing were the barrier should be and his sword was a long way inside where it should be impossible to be. “How- Oh right, goblin steel!” Deathoak said. “Haha, way to go Silent!” Silent didn't pay him any attention as he continued to cut through the barrier. Even Shadowblade observed with great interest. Silent slowly swept his sword amongst the barrier, creating a hole big enough for a pony to climb in. When he was satisfied, he sheeted his sword and took a big step inside the predicted hole in the invisible wall. Only to be pushed out the second after. Everypony went silent. Deathoak walked closer to the intended 'gap' and felt his hoof along the wall. He managed to feel the hole Silent had made for just a second before it magically closed again. "I think its somehow regenerating," he then explained to the others. “Haha, not even Silent knows a way in, that shows how screwed we all are,” Shadowblade said teasing. After having concluded his theory, Deathoak looked annoyed at the sitting pony. “Alright, that's it. Tell us why you are so certain that none of us will reach the stone!” “Hmhm, can you not figure that out yourself?” Muttering, Deathoak repeated the riddle in his mind. If your mind is clear And your heart is pure No problem should you have, in taking the ball However, if you are here for greed and chaos Out from your reach, the ball will be… “You mean that our motives are greedy and that is why we can’t reach the ball?” Deathoak asked. “No, no, not at all! Rather the opposite: we are here to fetch it for somepony else, is not that considered quite generous?” “Mind is pure and heart is clean… I’m afraid I can’t say that I can figure this out…” “Oh, but please Deathoak! Name one pony in here that have not another pony’s blood on their hoofs? Even if we do it for a good cause, our heart will still be far from pure! We won’t be able to reach it because deep inside, we are quite evil.” A creepy silence swept through the group. It was not an awkward silence. It was the silence a criminal makes when he just realize that his simple robbery had accidently turned into a murderer. The soft puffs from Shadowblade’s pipe were the only sounds that filled the room. “So… You are just going to give up?” Deathoak eventually said puzzled. Shadowblade slipped out a muffled laugh. “You do not know me very well Deathoak, do you? I never give up. We simply have to find somepony else to do it for us. Somepony that is ‘kind’ enough to help us. Somepony with a clear mind and a clean heart. Shouldn't be too hard, we are after all in Equestria, 'the land of harmony'.” The last three words came out more as a mocking than a statement. The group looked even more confused now than they were looking before. “Where do you suggest we find this… ‘kind’ pony of yours?” Faceless asked. Shadowblade grinned evilly. “Deathoak, did you not say before that there was a village named ‘Ponyville’ around these parts?”
Introduction"Once upon a time, in the magical land of Scardiva. There were eleven different tribes, who ruled together, and created prosperity to all the land. To do this, the clans were given different tasks to handle. Three clans were given the rich farming lands to the south. Their task was to grow food to all the other tribes. Three clans were soldiers, which only duty was to defend the other tribes from the many dragons and other foul beasts purging their mountain kingdom. They were given the most dangerous lands to live in, in order to keep the monsters at bay, if they tried to emerge from their dark caves. Two clans were given the material rich land to the north, filled with forests and rich mines. They were given the task to craft tools to the farmers, and weapons for the warriors, not to mentioning keeping Scardiva prosper. One clan were given a tiny area somewhere near the southeast border. They were meant to be traders and diplomats, keeping the international business for the welfare of the kingdom. One clan was only given one single city to control, but they were also given a very important task. They were supposed to guard the library of Scardiva's collected wisdom and history. They were also assigned to archive the events that occur in the present, in order for the future generations to learn from the past’s mistakes. And the last clan was given the large land in the centre of the kingdom. They were the leader of the land, and were given the trust to rule over all the other clans, to make everything run smoothly. Thus, the eleven tribes maintained balance for their kingdom, and for their loyal subjects, all the different types of tribeponies. But as time went on, the tribes became resentful. The farmers felt discriminated, the warriors were unpleasant with having to constantly risk their lives, the craftsponies wanted more bits for their goods and the diplomats and wise librarians wanted more authority. One faithful day, every tribe stopped working together. Their leader tried to reason with them, but the bitterness in their hearts turned the tribes against each other. A violent civil war erupted. Reluctantly, the leader found no other way, but to step down from his throne, making each tribe an individual independent state. The leader had prevented a disaster, but Scardiva have remained scattered generation since..." Extract from "History of Scardiva, volume 1" written by multiple authors, translated into Equestria by Arial Multi-Speech. "Scardiva Stonehoof's Prophecy One day, Scardiva will once again be united under a single, wise ruler Nevermore will the clans fight eachother Nevermore will the mountains be considered a wasteland And with the rise of the wise ruler The death of Equestria's ruler will be followed shortly after" Extract from "Prediction and prophecies", written by Madame Wisdom Mane.
