Equestria Girls: Hunting Season

Chapter Fourteen The Great Ocean

Sombra

"I was just a child when I learned I was different. You see unlike what everyone believes I was actually born and raised in the southern west."

"Wait isn't that the term used for the Great Ocean?" Silver asked?

"Yes it is, although the ancients simply called it "Sea Terra" an apt name for a place so riddled with islands." I replied tending to my cooking.

"But that ocean, just like the entire western world is suppose to be a death trap for ponies! That's why no explorer that has ever gone there ever returned." Sunset exclaimed looking at me like I must have been a ghost.

"That is true, for a simple reason really. No one can make it past the first obstacle to enter. Its almost impossible. Now I'll explain everything so no more questions until the end alright?" After everyone agreed I continued. "Now the Great Ocean is a place of untold mystery and surviving there is nearly impossible for most but ponies and other races manage it somehow anyway. Even the natives and those born there must fight daily to live, but that's the very reason they are so strong. The ocean is unforgiving incredibly more so then the Lunar and Celestial oceans near Equestria and on top of that the magic there is wild. Some believe it is the truest point of power in the world, or possibly its a leaking point. No one is sure just how large our world really is. The map is completely gone and made up. Even Equestrias map is false. It portrays the lands of ice to be the top and the desert and ocean to be the bottom of the globes map, but I can tell you it goes much much further. Even Sea Terra is not the furthest point west or south and traveling further is like traveling into a lions den which we call the "Lost World". For past the Great Ocean is a barrier even more powerful then the trails between Equestria and Sea Terra. Legends have said that the Lost World is only accessible by the strongest warriors and those with the greatest wills." Looking to the waters I sighed recalling my home. "The mysteries and events that I have experienced during my years in the Great Ocean would take much to long to tell, but the events that led me to Equestria are quite simple. You see I was young and naive thrown out by my birth giver because of my demon like appearance, she had cursed my name as she cast me away sending me out on the sea on a small boat with almost nothing. The village hated her for bringing such a creature into there home. They believed I was the reason the crops did not grow and any small issue in town became mine to take blame for. Soon enough this led to my exile. At the time I was eight, barely a colt."

"That's awful! Silver cried out. Diamond and her had both started to cry, everyone else was either in a similar state, sorrowful ,or angry.

"How could they do that to a child!" Twilight demanded. Furry on her face.

"They were paranoid, it was not till later that I learned that entire island had been targeted by a group of pirates. Learning of the islands weakened state they used it to their advantage. Killing everyone and robbing the place dry." I looked to see their reactions to this information. I was pleasantly surprised to see not looks of disgust but instead pleased expressions or simple rightful acceptance. Maybe these ponies were not as delusionally peaceful as I had presumed. The youth must have something to do with that for the newest girls, they probably have not been brainwashed by Equestion society yet. As for the other two I could already tell this world was their reason for understanding.

"I sailed until I was almost certainly dead, with no way of controlling my course I had lost all hope. So close to the end I could not believe it when I had been discovered by a fishing vessel. Taken to their island I was even more amazed. I had never seen such a large landmass. Mountains and forests spread beyond imagination. If I had never seen the other side I would not have believed it to be an island at all. Learning that there was a temple that took in castaways my fortune could not have been better. So when I questioned why they did not look frightened by my appearance I was baffled to find out that this island was further west, my village almost as close to Equestria as possible for Sea Terra. They told me things here were far more frightening then me. This place is where I spent many years.

I grew close to the village I even had a best friend who I fished with constantly. You see every species in the west eats meat. Without it we would never grow strong enough to survive the creatures and weather that exist there similar to this world. I learned my magic from a traveler who believed it ironically suited me." Sighing I smiled. "Those were great times, but I wanted to learn more about the world. So with a teary goodbye I left. Venturing North East I sailed through many island chains and learned that the weather had no correlation to the location of the world. See before I sailed down crossing the frozen mountains into Equestria I was on an island that almost resembled a desert, The warmth gave way to cold and I reached land. Sneaking my way through what looked like destroyed arctic civilizations I learned of the Yaks war. It was not until I reached the empire that things went wrong. I say the empire came closest to killing me but it was not do to their power. It was because I lost myself there.

For when I came upon it a great snow boar which was impossibly large for it to be natural with tusks the size of cannons had torn its way into the empire, It had killed the rulers and guards destroying the castle and if left unchecked would kill everyone, they had nowhere to run with the cold outside the bubble. So when I took it down the ponies gave me the position as King. They had no one to rule them and had no where to turn. I did not want it for I was not done traveling but without someone to guide them I knew they would perish to the cold. I took on the role, pretending to be much older. It was surprisingly simple since despite being fifteen at the time my strange appearance made me out to look around mid twenties.

For three years I fought against war invasions protecting the people. The crystal heart that the Princess used to stop me was actually just an ancient defense tool that I had locked away to prevent it from landing in the Yaks hooves, but despite all my effort to help them. The fear set in, I had saved them but this did nothing to stop rumors. Maybe I had been the one to set the beast upon the empire they had said, maybe it was all planned from the start. I looked like a demon so why was it not possible. Fighting against me they got lost in delusions almost killing themselves in the process. My rule became cruel trying to find a way to help them while being distrusted brought upon my rage. I acted in anger and the princesses showed up. They could not beat me so they decided to freeze me in hopes of being strong enough later, but when I met their attack with my own they accidentally froze the entire empire. I was eighteen then and immediately had been destroyed upon unfreezing. So technically I am still eighteen. I had originally planned on returning to the west after exploring Equestria, but things obviously did not go as planned." I looked to the girls all of them digesting the knew information. "Here I am free from all of that. Thanks to all of you I have experienced the first genuine companionship I have had in three years. Everyone I ever knew was dead I came upon that realization very shortly after I unfroze. When I had resurrected I did not know why I had even bothered. There was nothing left for me in the world, but thanks to all of you I now have a reason to live. For thank I could never thank you all enough."

Later that evening

We were all gathered around the fire pit. Full stomachs and happy conversation all around. And the barrel Sunset had bought before we left turned out to be full of ale. Even though none of the girls would have been old enough to drink back home there were no such laws here. So everyone had been drinking merrily and I had felt relieved. After telling everyone about my past, I had expected them to think I was lying or at least be doubtful. They had even gone as far as to apologize to me for what the princesses had done, as if it was even remotely close to their faults. I understood though, we were here for each other with almost no chance of survival if we were being realistic. Why would I lie? They trusted me and I wanted to keep that trust.

"Sombra?" Sunset got my attention from her spot next to Twilight. We had taken fallen logs and spread them around in a U shape near the fire. Her and Twilight shared one with me with Twilight in the middle. The log to our left had Diamond and Silver with Silver furthest away, and to our right on the final log were Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo in order from closest to furthest.

"What is it?" was my response.

She leaned forward to look at me "You told us that there was a barrier or something preventing those who wanted to go to the Great Ocean and the rest of the world, what exactly is that barrier?" Everyone quickly turned their attention to me obviously curious themselves. After all what could possibly cut off Equestria from what basically was the rest of the world.

"We'll each is different depending on the direction, I don't know what the barriers on the Eastern and Southern sides of Equestria are like since I never went near them. Although I have heard they are just as tough as the ones I went through. As far as what those barriers are, the one in the North is an allusion created by the magic from the outer world colliding with the arctic storms. It will make you see things and guide you off course. Unless you are already use to wild magic you will become completely at the wim of the allusion and will die to the ice storms." They looked a little put off by that image but I continued. "As far as the west. There are some things you just have to see to believe." They all looked disappointed at that, with a chorus of resounding "awe's" so I decided to give them a hint and a promise. I stood up and took off my shirt showing them the scar that had followed me to this body. It went from my right shoulder all the way down to my left hip with the widest part being about four inches. "Girls this scar right here." I said widening my arms to show it fully. "It is proof of just how hard it is to cross the barriers. Their are other worldly magics at work holding them in place. No one is quite sure why they exist but they are the reason Equestria is called the safest place in the world. I got this when I got to close to the Western barrier and the guardian of that border barely let me live, but if we make it back I promise I will take you all through that border and show you my homeland. After all I am much stronger now then I was back then, and by the end of this I am sure we all will be more then strong enough to cross. Is that good enough for now?" I asked.

Twilight stood raising her glass high and cheering. "To more adventures after we save the world!" She exclaimed loudly. Obviously the drinks having gotten to her a bit. Even so everyone stood and followed suit cheering along with her, and I joined in as well.

As the fire roared and the sky shined with stars. Our quest had only just begun.