Times Forgotten

"How far is your home?" I asked.

"Not far, now." Ron replied, "Just a few more minutes and we'll reach it."

After our lunch we continued to trek across the plains. The older stallion knew where he was going, whereas I did not. I kept looking all around and still saw nothing, other than melting snow and patches of uncovered sand. There were hardly any animals around, except for a single bird that flew over us as we walked. Our hooves crunched in the mix of snow and sand, leaving continuous tracks.

What will I do once we get there?

It was the question I continued asking myself. Should I just wander into a town I knew nothing about? I couldn't ask to stay with him and his family, it would seem rather rude. There had to be another alternative. Thoughts of what Ron had said earlier about Stargarde soon flooded my mind again.

If this town has somepony who could tell me about dark aura... Then it hit me!

"Mr. Oak?"

"Yes?" He turned to me as he walked.

"Could you take me to Stargarde?" I asked earnestly, "You said it wasn't far from your hometown."

"What?!" He seemed surprised for whatever reason.

I was more than confused at his remark.

"What's wrong?"

"I... mean... it's just that..." He started fidgeting nervously.

"What?" I grew more concerned by the minute.

"S-S-Stargarde's not a very friendly place. Why the hay would you wanna go there?!"

I had grown rather suspicious.

"When I asked you if you knew somepony who knew about dark aura," I quickly reminded him, "you told me that the town talks about that sort of thing."

"Well... yeah. But I'd never think you'd consider going there!" As he looked at me his eyes were wide and fearful.

This doesn't make any sense!

Ron Oak was obviously not comfortable talking about it, which still made little sense. When he first mentioned Stargarde he wasn't as frightened about it, yet when I asked for him to take me there he looked like he was about to wet himself! Maybe he didn't think I'd actually want to go there. He probably just wanted to answer my question earlier.

"Why is Stargarde an unfriendly place?" I demanded, "What is so frightening about this place?"

Oak remained silent, not even glancing back at me.

"Lets just... stop talking about it." He decided hastily. "I think I can see my town on the horizon."

There's something he's not telling me. I thought to myself, growing more skeptical as I ponder.

It dawned on me that he was definitely hiding something. His behavior not only made me feel anxious around him but it also made him more sketchy. He had kept quiet for a longer span of time than usual, which made the silence more unpleasant than it should. As we continued to walk across the sandy landscape I spotted ten large white structures jutting out of a sandy hill. They were curved inward and seemed to be massive. Six seemed completely in tact while the other four were either broken or damaged in some way. I wondered what it could have been, whether they were pillars or played some part in construction. Yet... the longer I look at them, they seem to actually resemble...

They're bones. Rib bones. I guessed.

I had not seen such bones in my life--from what I could remember, anyway, whatever those bones belong to must have been immense in size. I didn't ponder on this for long, as I was about to witness something else entirely. Mr. Oak stopped dead in his tracks. I came up to him and looked at his blank expression. He saw something, that was obvious, but what he saw was somewhere off in the distance. I tried to snap him out of it but he was still as a statue.

"We have to run." He said quietly.

"What is it? What's going on?" I attempted to get an answer.

Oak seemed to quiver, "We need ta get off the road. Quick! Follow me!"

Oak galloped off the side of the road faster than I thought. I didn't know why, but out of instinct I started running after him. Sand spattered everywhere as I picked up speed. I squinted to prevent any particles from getting into my eyes from all the sand being kicked. Through my limited vision I could see Oak turning back to me as he sprinted.

"COME ON!" He shouted.

"What the hay's going on?!" I had gotten tired of running and him not answering.

I caught up to him as he said, "We're take'n a slight detour!"

"Why? What did you see?"

"HALT!!!" I heard a shout behind me.

I really didn't want to look behind me out of fear of who it was. I heard more yells from behind me, possibly several ponies chasing after us. They continued to call after us to halt but Oak just kept running. Hooves behind us kept pounding as they seemed to be getting close. It was likely our pursuers were Earth ponies or unicorns, because if they were pegasi they wouldn't have been so noticeable. It was at this point where I begun to question this ordeal even further.

Why were we being chased by these ponies? And what do they want with Oak?

Oak sprinted farther away. I wasn't sure how an old stallion could run so fast but I didn't question it. Perhaps he was gifted sprinter? Maybe. Through the sand I witnessed something else... a long flying shaft shot across the air towards Ron Oak. When it struck Oak's shoulder he yelled and tumbled on the sand beneath. I shook the sand off my face and outta my mane as I rushed to Oak's collapsed body. It didn't take long to catch up to him since he fell into the sand. The object was a spear now lodged in his shoulder blade, bleeding trickles of blood from the wound.

"Mr. Oak!" I was concerned for his safety as the other ponies were catching up.

"Forget about me, kid!" He yelled in pain, "Just go! Keep move'n forward!"

"FREEZE!" I heard a pony yell off in the distance.

"Quick, take the bag." He told me as he gasped for breath, "It has plenty of food and water to last you for a long while."

I was reluctant at first but I acquiesced to his request. "Alright."

I glanced behind to see seven stallions rushing towards us from two hundred feet away. They seemed to be wearing purple saddle armor and helmets. They were armed with spears at their sides and furious gazes upon their faces. I faced ahead and galloped forward as I tried hard to outrun them. It felt conflicting to leave that pony behind, but on the other hoof he was already injured and we wouldn't have escaped from them.

Still... I wish I could've helped.

The pounding hooves ceased from behind me. I dared not to turn back now that they've stopped. Yet I was still confused. I still didn't know what was happening and why. I was out of breath so I had to stop and rest. As I let the dry air into my lungs the world around me seemed to quiet down. Dunes surrounded the landscape before me, the skies still overcast. I dared to look behind me. When I did, the armored stallions were removing the spear from his body. They worked together to carry him over one of their backs.

They didn't seem to notice me which was good.
The seven armored stallions turned their way back to whence they came. At the time I wasn't sure where they came from but I wasn't willing to find out. So, with them gone, I continued moving forward. Ron was not specific about it, only telling me to keep moving forward.

There must be a settlement there. I said to myself. Maybe Stargarde is in that direction!

With that in mind I had no reason to turn back! I continued on my way, not knowing what's ahead of me. Before me was nothing more than sandy dunes, small wilted plants, as well as a few skeletons of dead animals. As to how it came to be I didn't know. The air was still, not a breeze to be felt. It was warm out here but not too warm. Overcast skies still blocked the sun which might have been why it wasn't so hot. Either way, I had to keep on going.

As of this point... I felt like an idiot.

How did I not realize I was a unicorn?! I said to myself, irritated. It had taken me this long to realize that I have a horn at the top of my head. Am I the most brilliant?! And since I'm a unicorn I could use magic... but now I don't remember how to use it... why does this keep happening to me?

As annoyed as I was at my own stupidity, I had bigger problems ahead of me. I had kept moving forward for possibly two or three hours since Oak was taken. I had lied down next to a large boulder snacking on the contents of his bag. More cat shaped sandwiches were there as well as a thermos filled with water. I savored every bite like before, considering there wasn't a whole lot of food to be had in the bag itself. Ron Oak stated there was enough food to "last for a long while". As for how long that would be seemed more relevant now than ever before.

The overcast sky began to darken, meaning the day was transitioning into night. There seemed to have been a faint glimpse of the sun setting just beyond the horizon. The day had definitely been long and probably won't be the first. I could feel my eyes start to sag once I finished eating. It was easy to tell that I was without a doubt exhausted, letting out a yawn every now and then. As I curled myself up I saw my own cutie mark, which looked like a silver shield. On that shield was a six pointed star which appeared similar to the one on that tree in in the forest.

Hmm... what if?... no. No that can't be. Whatever thought I had I pushed aside for hopes of sleep.

In spite of closing my eyes sleep alluded me. Every time I tried to make myself comfortable I couldn't fall asleep somehow. I needed sleep. I need to rest for what lies ahead of me. I tried closing my eyes tighter, hoping I would fall asleep that way. It didn't work. I was getting increasingly frustrated at my futile attempts to sleep.

"Go to sleep, you foal!" I shouted at myself.

It was getting to a point where I had to find newer tactics to sleep. I quickly got myself up to pace back and forth from where I stood. I thought that maybe I could tire myself out that way. Sand had been kicked around by my hooves as I brusquely paced in one spot for almost a minute. Another minute passes and still nothing.

"Why am I having such a hard time sleeping?" I asked myself aloud.

With nopony else around it became hard not to talk to myself. I had been so used to Oak's company for a while before he was taken. It felt much better having another pony around to talk to, instead of having to talk to yourself. Despite that, I still wondered why he had acted so nervous. I had also wondered about the seven guards and why they captured him.

Those guards were after him for a reason. Was he wanted for something? Did they subdue him for something he did? If that was the case then that would make him a criminal. But I can't just make an assumption like that; I just met the guy!

My legs began to ache the more I paced. I stopped myself only to collapse on the ground with an audible thud. I might have paced for more than I needed to. My head was heavy with questions and worries about the previous events. It was at a point where it was too much to bear. I needed to stop thinking about these questions and focus on the most important task... SLEEP.

At first I seemed to be accomplishing my goal. That was... until I had heard something. I had opened my eyes as quickly as possible when I did. It was a crunching sound that came from somewhere behind the boulder. I jolted up from where I lay, afraid of what made that noise. For several moments I stood as still as a statue, waiting for the sound to fill my ears once more. My heart was sinking and my breath was steady yet silent. I wasn't sure what instinct told me to sneak behind the boulder, but I couldn't just stand still without knowing what's out there.

Tip-toeing my way behind the boulder I had peered my head behind the boulder, to see whatever's out there. All I could see beyond was nothing I have not already seen; sand and dunes. I moved my ears around to try and pick up the sound. The only sound that I had heard was the cold wind sweeping across the land. I had felt the icy breeze run through my mane and coat. My body started to shiver when it did. I felt the wind getting colder with every second passing.

Suddenly, a new sensation took me... Something's behind me...

My head slowly turned to face a another pony. A hardened, fierce looking, dark unicorn stallion rushed toward me with almost blinding speeds. Within an instant I was pinned down onto the sandy floor by this other stallion. The light from the moon shone, and it was then when I got a better view of his face. His eyes showed deep fury, his crooked teeth were bared with hatred. This dark colored stallion was not planning to let me go any time soon. His breath was hot and smelled hideously foul, like he ate a rotten pile of dung.

"You!" He breathed in my face. "I'll make you pay!"

I was too afraid to speak, worried that he would kill me faster. By foul stench or otherwise is anypony's guess. His horn had a hellish red glow when he lit it. A metallic ringing invaded my ears as he wore a sickening grin. He had levitated a rather large bladed knife pointed directly at me. The mysterious stallion started to chuckle quietly as he breathed his next sentence.

"I will enjoy EVERY moment of this!" He began to cackle.

I've got to get this guy off me! I thought quickly.

I had my back hooves curled up under him into a kicking position. As the sick mugger was about to stab I bucked him off with as much force as I could, sending off into the air and onto the ground a few feet away. I hurried to get myself back up, flailing my hooves to finally find footing on the sand.

Huh. Guess I don't know my own strength.

However, he got himself back up quickly and growled furiously. He rushed in for another assault. Since I was aware of him this time I evaded his attack easily. I knew I had to fight him somehow but fighting him with bare hooves wasn't exactly the most efficient way of dealing with him.

I have to disarm him.

He held his knife downward while trying to circle around me. I circled him clockwise to make sure he didn't come behind me. It became a bit of a waiting game to see who moved first. I kept my gaze on him anticipating his next move, even though I wasn't sure what I had to do to get away from him.

He bared his teeth again as he was about to come at me once more. The furious stallion slashed the knife in the air when he got close. I tried to buck him but I ended up missing him and he took advantage of it. He slashed the blade wildly like a maniac, trying his best to at least lacerate me. I moved quickly to evade his attacks, however I found myself getting cut in the process. It stung but I'll get over it.

His eyes were red and crazed as if he was on something or was just plain mad. He roared as he came at me flailing his blade faster than ever before. As quick as he was, he left a window of opportunity for me. I bucked his face with a lot of force and the knife flew from his grasp. I rushed to the flying knife and caught it with levitation. I rushed to the downed stallion and held the knife out in front of me.

I've done it!

I held the knife to his throat when I had gotten close enough. He didn't even try to escape, he only stared at me with eyes full of hatred. I gave him an angry look and he seemed to calm down, strangely enough. It was probably because I had pinned him down, and kicked his flank. Nothing could help his breath though so I did my best not to gag.

"Look," I had told him with hostility, "I don't know who you are or why you want to kill me, but I swear, I WILL kill you if you even dare attack me again!"

The stallion grimaced and flared his nostrils. "Fffffine!"

"Leave. Now!"

I had not noticed how intimidating I seemed to him. I allowed him to get up, knife still at his throat. He backed up as I moved toward him. I wanted to make sure that he got my warning and wasn't going to try anything. He backed away and ran, but stopped just a few yards away. He glanced back at me with a tranquil fury.

"Just so you know," He said, "that if I find you again... I WILL kill you. And then, I'll have my retribution!"

Without another word, he was gone. I sighed deeply in great relief and was immensely grateful he was out of sight. My heart pounded steadily now and no longer felt like it was about to stop. I could finally smell fresher air this time. I walked back to where I tried to sleep; next to the boulder. I laid myself down and with that, I believed to have found what I was looking for... sleep.

Dark clouds began to rumble as I trekked across countless dunes. It seemed ridiculous to me how vast this desert is! The wind started to pick up and I had felt a few drips of rain falling down on me. Soon enough the sand will become wet and make the day that much harder. Thankfully I hadn't seen any flashes of lightning.

I REALLY didn't want to be in a storm at all! I had to keep going and hopefully reach my destination... wherever that may be. Ron was never specific on how far it was, and I continued hoping that it wasn't too far off.

Whatever this place is, it better be somewhere warm and DRY! I thought irritably.

After the skirmish last night, I made sure to take the knife with me, just in case anything happens. I had kept it in the bag that Ron Oak gave me. Every time I reminded myself of last night the stallion's words echoed into my head; "...if I find you again... I WILL kill you. And then, I'll have my retribution."

He wanted to kill me for something I did. Considering I don't remember anything before the forest, something might have happened between me and that stallion. I might have actually done something to deserve vengeance! As for what I don't remember!

The scariest thought of all was whether or not I was a good pony at all. I could have been a vile cretin for all I know! I honestly didn't want to be one, that's for sure. I mean, how could I live with myself knowing that I was a terrible pony? I've thought long and hard about that.

Thunder rolled loudly, the rain soaked my fur down to the bone. The bag was damp and it's likely the food was in the same condition. I was miserable, tired, wet... and probably smelled horrible too. It wouldn't have been as bad as that stallion's breath though, that's for sure! Lightning flashed as I continued across the muddy sand, making me flinch at the incredibly loud roll of thunder afterward. But then... I saw what looked like a sign of hope...

"A light post!" I gasped.

A pale white light illuminated a wooded post. The light came from a lamp hanging from the post's arch. As I got closer I noticed that the post also had a square shaped sign on it's shaft. It was old and dilapidated in appearance, as if it had been there for decades. I trotted over to said post to get a better view of the sign. I couldn't tell what it said at first because I didn't recognize the font--and the light was blindingly bright. After a while I managed to figure out what it actually said:

WELCOME TO THE TOWN OF GLANCHESTER!

Glanchester?! I could've sworn he meant Stargarde!

I was a little more than upset that it wasn't Stargarde. It didn't really seem to matter too much considering that it's at least somewhere to stay for now. Beyond the post was a silhouette of what looked like a small town, but when lightning flashed once more the town itself came into view. I didn't think twice before galloping to the town, unaware of what may lie there. Puddles of water were splayed across the area, most of them were fairly wide in size. I did my best to avoid them as much as possible; I don't need to get even more wet.

As I got closer I noticed the entrance was a large iron gate guarded by two armored ponies. Both ponies were armed with spears and wore copper colored saddle armor and helmets. The one on the left was taller than the other and stockier, meanwhile the one on the left was shorter and had a lanky appearance. They had taken notice of me when I came within a few yards from them.

"Hold on!" The bigger one said, with a slightly feminine voice.

"State your business!" Said the other.

I stopped in front of them and noticed that the larger one was actually a mare. She looked even taller than I was! The other was a stallion, slightly shorter than me. The mare's coat was a chestnut brown, while the other's was a baby blue. Both had stern faces and were not planning on letting me in without further knowledge.

"I'm only a traveler; looking for shelter." I told them truthfully.

"Look'n fer shelter are ya? Ha!" The small stallion challenged, "Like I haven't heard that one before!"

"Must you really?" The mare turned to the other, "Every time somepony comes here, you just have to believe that!"

"What? This bloke looks rather suspicious!"

"You think EVERYPONY'S suspicious!"

"I do not!"

"Yes you do and you know it!"

"Alright, alright. Say somepony was to come here and they had bulges in their bags almost bigger than them, wouldn't you find them the least bit suspicious?"

"He's only got one bag!"

"That's not what I'm say'n!"

"That's not the point!..."

"Uh..." I tried to get their attention even though they just kept bickering.

"Anyway..." The mare decided to end it there, thankfully, "What's your name, traveler?"

As they argued I came up with something suitable for now, "Vagabond. My name is Vagabond."

Both of them looked at one another, brows raised. They leaned to the other and started whispering to one another. I couldn't tell what they were saying since both of them were speaking so quietly in comparison to when they argued. The small stallion's head jerked back in response to something the mare said.

I'll melt into a puddle by the time they're finished! I thought impatiently.

They broke out of their little chat after a few minutes, "Consider yourself lucky, Mr. Vagabond."

The stallion went over to unlock the gate with a ring of keys. After fiddling for the right key he eventually found it and proceeded. He had then opened on end of the iron gate with his hoof and gestured me in. I was more than thankful for FINALLY opening the dang thing! As I was about to enter, the stallion guard put a hoof on my shoulder.

"Don't do anythin' to make me regret this." He whispered, trying to sound intimidating.

"Oh, just leave him alone!" The mare guard said disgruntled.

He lifted his hoof away from my shoulder as I went about my business. The town itself was average sized I suppose. There were not a lot of ponies in sight because of the rain, yet those few walked through it without a care in the world. The ground was paved in cobblestone tile with some areas having piles of bird crap. The small buildings were all one story and looked as if they had been there for ages! There was even a pungent odor surrounding the premises that made my nose want to leave my muzzle. Other ponies didn't seem to mind.

This place is in a pretty bad shape.

Regardless of how bad it looked, anywhere is better than the desert. An old mare sat on a crooked wooden bench in the middle of the street. She seemed to have a frail gait as she sat. As for why an old mare would sit on a bench in the pouring rain, is beyond me. I didn't focus on it for too long however. I had figured the best decision would be to find an inn or something; I knew I couldn't just roam around in the rain.

As I explored the town, I stumbled upon a wide building with a dilapidated sign which said, "GLANCHESTER INN". Original, huh? I honestly couldn't have cared less about the bland name, so I just went in anyway. When I opened the door, I was greeted by a green stallion with a wide grin. He wore a messy brown bow tie and apron.

"Welcome to Glanchster Inn!" He said cheerfully, "How may I be of service?"

"Are there any rooms available?" I asked.

"Oh sure, sure! Not many ponies are staying at the moment so you're good to go!"

"How much for one night?"

"About ten bits."

Fortunately for me--not so much for Oak--there were around thirty bits in the bag I carried along with the food and knife. I opened up the bag and found the ten bits required for a room. I handed him the gold pieces as he grinned even wider than before. He then gestured me inside the spacious establishment. As I walked in, there were at least fewer than eight ponies inside, some sitting on a fine leather couch. Some of them stared at me blankly while others seemed more than a little curious. A dim light emitted from an old fashioned lamp.

"Here," the worker went over to a desk at brought back a key, "This'll be your room key. It has a number on it which tells you which room your staying."

"Alright then." I said calmly.

10 was the number on the key. It sounded coincidental at first since that was how much I paid him. I looked around a bit to get used to my surroundings. The floor was wooden with all kinds of mysterious stains. There was circular rug here underneath a coffee table, right in front of the couch. Above the couch was a painting depicting a castle of sorts on a mountainside. The castle had a unique design to it, with intricate spires and a luscious waterfall in the background.

Hmm... does that place actually exist? I pondered.

"Ahem!" The cheery stallion came up to me. "Is something wrong?"

I turned to him and said, "No. No, not all."

"I couldn't help but notice that you were admiring such a fabulous painting of Canterlot. It's cheap but still looks nice."

"Canterlot?" That was the first time I ever heard that name.

"Silly pony! How can you NOT know what Canterlot is?" He sounded aghast at my question.

"It's a famous place, I'm guessing?"

"Canterlot used to be a glorious city, and was the home of the two Princesses."

"Used to be?"

The stallion was even more surprised by that than my first question. "Well, we don't know what happened. All we know is that the kingdom fell into ruins somehow. Anypony who knows about it is most likely very old or dead!"

What kind of world IS this?!