It was torture learning a dialect. He had enough trouble just figuring out what a lot of prayers were saying! Now he had to talk like them. Hopefully it won't last too long. Sadly the outer city was much larger than he had anticipated, leaving a long period of walking to learn how to talk like a mortal. He was admittedly enjoying much of what he was learning but more of it was just what he said to keep Spel off his back. He did admire his attitude however. He was confident and bold yet strangely open about himself.

Apparently he and his sister use to be treasure hunters. She stopped when it wasn't turning a profit but Spel continues his quests. Every time he hears of a legend he packs up and goes headlong into the possible danger. And every time he's found what he was looking for. Or so he says. Like Lolk he had little to prove what he'd found. His most recent journeys lead him to a place called Unicornia and the ruins beneath the city looking for some lost knight's treasure. When he found it a group of young dragons came and took it. He showed him the scar they'd left under his mane on the back of his neck as proof.

Lolk had a hard time believing it. As well as being referred to as Lolk. He preferred being called by his actual name but he needed to ensure he wouldn't be taken away before getting to the temple. When they reached the gates to Crows, Lolk copied what Spel was doing. He bowed to the two guards in front of the massive wooden doors and asked to be let in. They asked for the tax and Spel provided the two gold coins for them. Lolk promised a bounty of more upon his return home to make up for both the fee and the dragons taking his prize a few months ago.

Once inside the proper city, Lolk was astonished by the sudden change in buildings. The rounded and rough stones that made up the buildings in Crow were replaced with smooth stones, sometimes with elegant carvings in them. The roofs he found were made of a hardened mud they called Clay and it was suppose to be the way it was. As they walked, Lolk took notice very quickly to the bakeries in the city. The ones in the town wafted smells of sweet pastries but these were full of so much variety! All the smells were sweet but some were… something else. Fruity? The sweet and fruity smell coming from them made feel that hungry thing again!

The ponies were also much different. The ones in Crow, if anything, wore just regular cloth and smocks depending on what they were doing. In Crows they all wore something. They wore much smoother looking fabrics in loose fitting dresses for the woman and what Spel called togas and robes for the men. The rich ponies just wore togas and shirts while, as Spel pointed out, priests and politicians wore the robes, decorated depending on how close to the gods they were. Why couldn't a pony from here have found him!? Though listening to how they talked to him he figured it was for his own benefit. The disrespectful lot of them.

Spel made a sudden left as the approached a lawn of grass and Lolk stopped in confusion. "Where are you going? You said the Temple was this way."

"Yes but common ponies can't cross the Palace's lawn unless they work for the King or of his blood. Now come on."

"What does it matter if you're a- you're not royal. You should be allowed to walk wherever you please."

"Lolk stop. Come on." Spel said as he started to notice attention being drawn from other nobles.

Lolk was about to protest and continue walking towards the temple when Spel grabbed him by the hoof and started dragging him away. Lolk reconsidered his action and realized it was on a fine line. He had to avoid drawling attention to himself and made a mental note to thank him later. As they walked around the palace the road began sloping up the hill in the center of Crows. At its top, a pillared structure stood made of gleaming marble. Marble columns holding wooden frames full of lush flowers lead up to the main building. The steps leading up to the all marble building were smooth and well kept by the priests. At a distance he couldn't make out anything of the detail.

He had to stop with Spel a few times to bow to a priest with their black hooded robes because of "respect" before entering the grounds. Though before that they had to be blessed. Lolk was growing tired of the formalities. He would've remembered if he had decreed such measures to be taken just to walk to his temple, or indeed if Mother had made them. Then again his knowledge of mortal practices was intensely limited so it was possible they thought it put them in some good favor. Having to go through it right now he was ready to decree it unnecessary and make them stop. At the foot of the temple, under the hanging garden of flowers, a set of colossal black bird statues stood watch with its distinct red eyes.

"What are those?" Lolk asked.

"Crows." Spel replied.

"I'm sorry?"

"They're crows, animals of Lorthalis. Our first King founded this town when he saw a crow with glowing red eyes on a branch at the top of the hill. It was a sign from Lord Lorthalis that this was sacred grounds and, if the legend is true, the tree in the temple is the tree of Lorthalis."

"Why wouldn't it be true?"

"Because Kings have lied before. One claimed he was the son of Lorthalis and Faust but couldn’t prove his ‘godly’ powers. Can you believe that?"

"I recall something like that. He was left at the bottom of a pit of fire in the earth for such claims."

"Uh… Yeah. He was burned in Crow publicly for heresy… Guess now you know why you need to keep low?"

"I suppose. If I had not been placed in this form then perhaps things would be much easier." As he said that, and passing the crows and climbing the steps, he saw murals painted into the walls.

The art was very well colored. He recognized mother's white coat and long red hair instantly, her mane practically jumping off the wall. Her image was over the entrance with Discord on her right. Having gotten more knowledge about mortals, he noticed she also had no cutie mark. The pair passed through the opening, greeted with sculptures and paintings on the walls of both Lord Discord and Mother, a few of him and his brother as well. Nacht's golden mane and curved horn were hard to miss. Lolk's form was much nicer. White coat, like Mother's and a black mane that flowed freely.

Columns marked the path they were suppose to take along with a very soft black carpet going to another doorway. Priests walked by with their hoods down, showing their faces as well as their long black manes tied back in several knots, held by golden ties, supposedly because it was to represent their ties to nature. Spel said that the longer the mane, the longer they'd been priests. They milled through the foyer, lighting candles and moving offering plates, either empty or full to certain statues, less being closer to the end of the atrium. The statues were only of Discord and Mother. At the entrance way, a priest with a long mane stepped out from around the other side.

"Welcome Children of The Mother of Creation. What may she do for you today?" she asked.

"I require an audience with M- The Goddess." Lolk said correcting himself.

"May I ask why?"

"You may not."

"Very well. Please come with me." She said stepping aside.

Lolk started to through the door but stopped when he noticed Spel not following.

"You have to see her alone. He's never been to a temple Madam." Spel said.

"I see. Come with me."

Satisfied with the answer, Lolk followed the priest through an open air hallway. On either side was a beautiful garden filled with bright, luscious flowers and the chirping of birds. The stone walkway they were on was covered by roof, held by the decorated columns that flanked them. The shade was sparse due to the position of the sun. At the end of the walkway, another opening with what looked to be a large tree within.

"This is your first time in a Temple of the Gods?" she asked Lolk as they walked.

"Yes… I'm not from around here."

"I should say so. Have you prayed to the Goddess before?"

"I have… not." Lolk said stopping himself short of explaining that he talked to her longer than she's been alive.

"It is very simple. At the foot of the tree, kneel before her and say this. Great Mother who has brought such life, please hear me."

"That's it?"

"That is all you must say for her to hear you. Then you can speak to her freely. Though chose your words wisely."

"I have." Lolk said re rehearsing his grievances with Nacht in his head.

"Good, then you know all you need to know. May the Gods bless you." she bowed and Lolk bowed back just out of reflex before going the rest of the way on his own.

He entered into a beautifully decorated room of white marble. Paintings on the walls of the creation of the Earth and all upon it by Mother and Discord. In the center, the tree Spel and the priest had been talking about, rooted in a large, round mound of dirt. The leaves were a lush green that seemed to glow in the sunlight. The branches swayed lightly in a wind that Lolk couldn't feel as he approached the dirt mound the tree was in.

"Mother?" He asked out loud, hoping she'd just let him skip the formalities. After a few moments he groaned and knelt down. "Great Mother who has brought such life, please hear me."

The tree limbs clattered and the leaves rustled as another unknown wind blew, this time much stronger and was actually felt by Lolk. He stood up and looked around, unable to believe it may have actually worked.

"Mother?" he asked hesitantly.

"My Son." his mother's soothing voice called from seemingly nowhere.

"Oh thank goodness! Do you see what has been done to me?"

"I do."

"Nacht has gone too far this time. He took my magic and locked me in this infernal body! Please just bring me home so I may give him a piece of my mind."

"Your brother had nothing to do with your form."

"Then who did?"

"Lord Discord and I."

"You!? W-wait, what!? Why!?"

"The wars caused by you and your brother have gone on long enough. The suffering you caused is unimaginable."

"Suffering? I have done no such thing!"

"Have you not?"

"No! You created me to keep order from the elements of Chaos that Lord Discord couldn’t control and that included Nacht! Now please let me return home! I cannot stand being here! I feel so vulnerable in this mortal body."

She let out a sigh. "You will. In time."

"No! I haven't done anything! This is all Nacht's fault!"

"He has been punished the same as you Lorthalis."

"But I do not deserve to be punished! What have I done!?"

"I cannot say exactly why. But I will tell you this. Your treatment of mortals, both walking among them and as a Spirit, is not what we have taught you. Until you learn the value of mortal life, my Son, you will remain in their world as one of them."

"That is not fair! Mother please get me out of here! I am begging you!" Lolk shouted falling to his knees as the wind stopped. The aspect of losing his power forever more terrifying than the monsters that chased him into this town. What scared him more was getting hungry again. That feeling was dreadful.

"This is final Lorthalis. I will be watching over you my Son." The wind faded.

"No! Please, I will do anything else! Please just let me come back! Mother! Rosetta!" He got no response.

He heard hoof steps behind him running up quickly. They skidded to a halt as he fell back on his haunches. "What's the matter?" the Priestess asked surprised.

Lolk was too stunned to answer. The fair and forgiving mother of creation just condemned him to a life of mortality. She wanted him to do something but he didn't know what! How was he going to redeem himself if he didn't know what he had to do!? Not wanting to cause any more commotion, Lolk stood up and took a breath.

"Nothing. Rosetta decreed what I must do. Please, take me out of this place." Lolk said flatly.

The mare nodded and began leading him out. He followed sluggishly as he tried to figure out exactly what she meant by suffering. This was the city he said should be founded, apparently anyways. He wasn't quite sure if he had in the first place with all he’d been dealing with. If he was truly causing suffering wouldn't he have seen it at some point? Ponies in pitiful squalor or something along those lines? He wasn't the cause of anything negative like suffering of mortals was he? His brother certainly but him? Mother was the one that told him to fight his brother and now she was saying that he was wrong for doing so?

They came to the foyer where Spel was admiring the murals, new from what Lolk assumed. He turned and noticed his distress. His gaze turned from happy to sympathetic in a moment and he was at his side.

"What happened? Did the Goddess not let you go home?" he asked putting a wing over his shoulder.

"Return me to your domicile." Lolk said not caring about language anymore.

"But-"

"Just take me There... Please."

"Alright mate, let’s go." Spel kept his wing over him as they went. Lolk would’ve never admitted it to anyone, especially Spel, but he appreciated it.

Author's Note

Lolk: Aw, you gave me a little friend. I didn't even know you cared Vince.
Me: So long as you keep getting on Nex's nerves I could care less.
Nexus: I'm going to kill both of you.