Voice

Faith woke up feeling extemely comfortable. Stretching out, she slowly pulled the covers off of herself and crawled out of bed. Grabbing her Echdaiclar, she trotted out into the kitchen to find Bon Bon and Lyra already awake waiting for her. "About time you got up sleepy head. Bon Bon refused to let me eat until you came out." Lyra mock complained. Faith picked up on the joking undertone and let out a silent giggle. Bon Bon then came over with three plates of wheat waffles. "This is a new recipe, tell me what you think." Bon Bon slipped before realizing what she'd said. Faith politely let the comment fly right on by very impolitely scarfing down her plate of waffles. 'I haven't had anything this good in forever!' Faith stopped eating for half a second to look up and rub her stomach while nodding graciously before digging back in.

After finishing breakfast and cleaning her dish, Faith flipped a couple of switch's, pulling a voice that nopony in Ponyville would recognize. "I'm going to go out and walk around. Lunch though?" "Alrighty!" "Sounds good Faith!" With that Faith turned and walked out the door.

She didn't really have a set path, so she just meandered around until she found a butter coloured pegasus sitting with some birds. The mare would hmm a few bars, then the birds would chirp right back. Setting her Echdaiclar to record the tune, Faith trotted over slowly and sat down just behind the mare on her right. Waiting until she got a good rythm to the music, Faith slowly introduced a violin and piccolo. The butter mare faltered for half a second before continuing, and the birds, humming, violin and piccolo slowly grew into a joyous melody that radiated peace. As it drew to a close, the pegasus mare turned around. "That was amazing, at first I was startled a little, but then I realized you were just joining in so I continued." Faith smiled as she messed with her machine. "It was my pleasure. I heard your humming with the birds and couldn't help but find it beautiful. Also, my name is Faith." At first the mare shrunk back from Faith and the machine, but when she realized that it was how the pony talked she quickly replied. "Oh it was nothing, I sing with the birds all the time. Well I should probably get home to Angel, he's my pet bunny." Faith smiled and nodded as the pegasus took flight. Looking about, she quickly spied a clothing store, "Carosuelle Boutique", and decided to give it a look around.

Walking in, Faith was surprised to find the store in complete and utter chaos. Three fillies were running around trying to get everything under control, but there was fabric everywhere, that and a rather peeved cat chasing them. Setting her Echdaiclar down, Faith trotted over and began soothing the cat. As soon as she had the cat settled, Faith turned about and started to roll up the fabric, quickly joined by the three fillies. It took about 10 minutes but Faith and the fillies quickly had the shop looking normal again. "Gee thank ya miss, Ah'd hate tryin to explain the mess we'd made to Rarity." Faith smiled as she voiced her reply on the Echdaiclar. "Not a problem, now I assume Rarity is the shop owner?" The fillies nodded in unison. "Well then. Is she coming back soon?" "About 5 minutes I think." offered the burnt orange pegasus. "Alright, hmm, well if I can just wait here for her, would you mind if I played a song?" Three shakes. "So you wouldn't mind then. Ok." With that Faith started playing "The Gaurdians of Equestria" which told the tale of how six ponies aided Princess Cadence and Shining Armour in ridding Equestria of the changling queen. Just as the song ended, there was a ring from the front door bell, denoting the entrance of somepony. "Oh my, I didn't realize I had somepony waiting on me. I do hope my siter and her friends weren't too much trouble. I'm Rarity by the way." "Faith, and these three had everything running smoothly when I arrived." Rarity looked both sceptical and confused. Sceptical that the fillies that were now running out her door didn't cause trouble, and confused about the machine that voiced the mare in her store. "Oh yes, and this is my Echdaiclar, it speaks for me and plays music." "Oh ok darling, I was wondering about that. Anyway is there anything I can do for you?" "Just browsing, oh my, or not! I'm supposed to meet a couple of ponies for lunch and I didn't realize the time. I'm sorry!" Rarity merely nodded as the strange mare took off out the door.

Scrambling around the final corner Faith found that Lyra and Bon Bon were only just getting seated. Trotting over, she nodded a hello and joined them. "So Faith, had fun so far?" inquired Bon Bon. "Yes, I met Fluttershy and Rarity. Also I believe I met Twilight yesterday and saw Applebloom?" "That's be Applejack. Those are our resident celebrities actually." Lyra joked. Faith responded with a quizzical look. "What Lyra means is that Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie are all Twilight's closest friends. Twilight is Princess Celestia's protege, Shining Armour's sister, Princess Cadence's sister in law. Those six also beat Discord, helped beat the changling queen, and defeated Nightmare Moon." explained Bon Bon. Faith's eyes widened, but not at all the titles, just one. "Wait, they defeated Nightmare Moon!?" "Oh yeah, it was really cool. Infact Twilight's friends with Princess Luna now." Lyra chuckled. 'So that means that maybe!? But I just can't demand anything. Luna might not even remember what happened after all. It was Nightmare.' "Hullo? Earth to Faith, please return from the moon." Shaking her head, Faith quickly typed her response to Lyra, "What's up?" "Time to order." Bon Bon replied. "Oh yeah sorry."

The rest of lunch commenced with nods or shakes of Faith's head as she tried to sort out the information overload.

Faith just wanted to think, no music, just think. She stopped by Lyra and Bon Bon's house and dropped off her Echdaiclar. Relieved of any thoughts of tune or the weight of the machine in general, Faith started to trot into the fields just outside town. Faith just laid in the grass as her mind raced.

'If Twilgiht knows Celstia and Luna, perhaps they can fix this. But that'd be terribly forward of me to simply force the issue on them. That and like I thoguht earlier, what if Luna doesn't even remember and there is no fixing it. Maybe this is just my life now. Ahhh, s'not too bad, that I've got my Echdaiclar. What's the worst that could happen?'

"What's the worst that could happen" was the line she'd spoken just before confronting Nightmare Moon, and history, with it's tendancy to repeat itself, decided to show her that exact scenario. A cyan coated, rainbow maned pegasus suddenly plowed a furrow into the ground not ten feet from her. Faith immediatly reached for her Echdaiclar, only to remember that she didn't have it with her. Scrambling for ideas, Faith quickly ran over and lifted the pegasus onto her back.

Faith was slight and slender, and definitely not an athlete. Struggling under the weight of the pegasus, she made for town as fast as she could.

Her legs were throbbing, and she was gasping for air, but Faith refused to stop. It was getting dark, but she wasn't about to stop moving. Finally she saw a pony off in the distance. Waving her forelegs Faith tried to get the pony's attention, but it failed to work. Desperate to get their attention she scanned for anything to make noise. Finding to large rocks, Faith set to smacking them together. At first it achieved nothing, then the pony turned and looked towards her. Faith set back to marching herself towards the pony with the pegasus mare on her back when the ground suddenyl reached up for her, and her vision went black.

"Ah still don't get why she didn't holler fer help. Woulda made it that much easier." "I'm sure it would've Applejack, and we can ask her when she wakes up, oh speaking of which."

Faith opened her eyes to find Applejack and Twilight standing over her. She made to stand up before realizing she was hooked up to hospital gear and couldn't find the strength to move her limbs. "Oh yeah, Ah reckon she is. So then miss, who are you and how did Rainbow Dash get hurt?" 'Rainbow Dash? Oh Celestia, that was the pegasus I'm sure. But, no, I can't say anything, I don't have my Echdaiclar!' Shifting her eyes around the room, Faith was hoping to find a quill and paper, but there were none.

"Ah told you somethin' was up Twi, lookit her eyes all shifty an' such." Applejack whispered. Just then the door opened to reaveal Lyra with none other than her Echdaiclar. Faith's features lit up as Lyra handed her the machine. Quickly typing up her message, Faith replied "Is Rainbow Dash okay?! I did my best to help her, but it didn't quite work out." Lyra didn't know the answer, and Applejack was trying to figure out the machine, so Twilight answered. "Rainbow Dash is fine, but why are you speaking with a machine?" "Uhm, I can't talk. It's complicated." With that Faith slid the Echdaiclar off the side of the bed to the floor and rolled over. "But fixing vocal chords is easy, why do you think that the singers never have vocal problems, and why you never see a mute pony. Even I know the spell to fix vocal chords, watch." Twilight smiled. Immediatly becoming frantic, Faith scooped her Echdaiclar back up and tried to warn the lavander mare, but it was too late. Twilight cast the spell and there was a load bang as Twilight got thrown against the wall. Lyra and Applejack both rushed over to check on the unicorn while Faith, tears in her eyes, forced her body into motion and after grabbing her Echdaiclar, took off out the door.

'Again. Instead it's two ponies hurt because of me rather than the usual one.' Faith mentally beat herself as she tore out of the town to the forrested area nearcy. Trees and nature had this affect to calm her, and that's exactly what she needed. Vision blurred with tears Faith didn't even notice the darkening forrest or thetrees slowly looking more and more malign as she delved further. Finally too tired to run anymore, Faith fell to the ground and continued crying there, huge silent sobs shaking her entire body. After another 15 minutes or so, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

Today I encountered a magic that I have not felt in two years time since the defeat of Nightmare Moon. It was ancient in feel, and I did not recognize all of its components, but I know for sure it was Nightmare's. Now as to where I encountered this magic, it was as I tried to heal a mare's vocal chords because she was mute. As soon as my magic touched the mare, a powerful defensive counter measure sturck me and threw me against a wall. We don't know where this mare is now, but I worries me to think that Nightmare's magic still taints the land and I felt it would be best to alert the both of you.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

The sound of bush's shaking was what woke Faith. Slowly opening her eyes, they immediatly locked onto twin orbs staring at her from the dark. A deep rooted instinct in her told her to run, and she was already standing to do just that. As she turned and galloped off, she heard the beast's growls from behind her. Fear bringing tears right back to the mare, she didn't even see the trip wire until she'd set it off. A cord wrapped around her left hind hoof, and she found herself caught fast. As she tugged at the cord to pull herself free it set off a jangling of metal peices tied to it. Curling into a ball, Faith did her best to accept that her life was at an end when she heard a soft voice shine out in the darkness of her thoughts.

"Well then, seems something wandered into mah perimeter. Now what have we got today, manticore? Maybe a young hydra, haven't felt one in ages."

Suddenly Faith felt a soft pressure on her back.

"Oh ho! Ah've got a pony in mah trap. Ah didnae expect tha' at all. Come now, time tae get up. Ah'll no hurt you."

Slowly uncurling from herself, Faith found that there was a pegsus working on the knot that secured her. Pulling her Echdaiclar from her back, Faith immeditaly set up a thank you and a greeting. "I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you sir, and thank you for helping me." "Tis not a problem lass. "Sides, it's been a while yet since Ah've found myself with a visitor. Now follow me if you don' mind to much. Ah'll jus' lead ye righ' back tae mah home." Following behind the stallion, Faith quickly placed his accent as Scoltish. He also walked in an odd way. His wings were extened out to his sides, but forward in front of him, and he seemed to go out of his way to feel every tree the walked past. After a short five minute trot, he led her to a small cottage. "An' this is mah humble abode, emphasis on it bein' humble. Still a damn sight nicer than anything else you'll find in this forret, am Ah right?" the stallion chuckled as he opened the door. "Well, come on in now, Ah'll no bite ye. Here, let me get ye a cup o' tea." Still with his wings flared, the stallion then brought her to a small kitchen area. "Have a seat now lass while Ah fix this up." Faith seated herself and watched as the stallion started running his hooves carefully over everything on the shelves until stopping on what he wanted. Realizing she was being rude, Faith quickly pulled her Echdaiclar about and started typing. "So, I take it you don't get visitors often?" "Nah, but it's not too bad. Ah actually enjoy it quite nicely. Also, may I ask what yer clickin' on everytime you talk?" Faith's eye's widened for a second before returning to normal, "I cal it an Echdaiclar. It's a one of a kind device that allows me to make music, or record voices and allow me to speak. It's really quite interesting jus' like the way ye walk" Haha, tha's a fancy gizmo there, copyin' mah voice an' such. An' as to why I walk with my wings out, it jus' helps me get a feel for mah surroundings." the stallion shrugged. "Oh okay. So you're probably wondering what I'm doing out here aren't you. I'm sure you don't see many ponies out here." "Ah actually wouldnae mind hearin' yer story, and no Ah havnae really seen much of anythin' in the past 3 years." With that the stallion turned about to present Faith with a cup of tea, and Faith couldn't help but stare.

"Well, now, judgin' by the fact tha' Ah've still got yer tea in mah hoof, you jus' realized tha' Ah'm blind. Anyway, take this tea now, and sup it awhile, then we can get to work on yer story. After tha' Ah'll tell you mine. Byt the way Ah'm Angmar, so wha's yer charming name?" "Faith." Angmare smiled at this, then flared his wings back out and trotted torwards a fire place. Well then, if ye don't mind joing me in the den here, we'll get started." Faith merely nodded, smiling at the cheery stallion.

A.N.- well then I've got my second chapter out, again any thoughts/constructive critiscism will make it that much easier. Chapter three is the big reveal on Faith's past too. Also if anybody finds a non gory as heck Cupcakes-esue picture showing a voiceless pony, please toss me the link so I can get some cover art.