After His Fall

The forest, a perfect place to find a companion who can gather an army to fight for you, right? For Winter? Maybe.. Anyone else? Not likely. Speaking of a forest, a snowy white alicorn could be seen trudging along a dirt path surrounded by vegetation, mostly grass and ferns, but there was quite a few fruit trees, likely a place for bat ponies and saberhorns (batpony, but a unicorn instead) to collect food for the tribe. There was a mare following him, a dark grey hood flicked down to reveal an ash horn protruding from an expertly cut hole in the hood that not only covered her face, but kept the hood in place. Her head was down but it was seen that the dirty white mane from the mare in the council room hung down over the ash body of the mare as the cloak held together from the inside. The only other aspects that were visible would be the pair of ash grey hooves hitting the ground with soft thumps upon each landing.

      "Ah! The forest, a beautiful sight don't you think, Savina?" Winter practically yelled his satisfaction with the scenery and nudged the cloaked mare.

     "It would look better, either burnt to the ground or covered in permafrost." She mumbled in return, not even needing to look up from the ground, she had used magic to allow her a sonar-like vision in her mind, mapping out her exact location and changes in the environment. She saw everything without seeing it to say in short.

     "Oh come on! Don't be such a downer Savi, it's amazing here, even I can enjoy calm scenery!"

     "I would prefer it destroyed.." Up ahead, there was a saberhorn, she held a tightly woven basket while collecting fruits, possibly for her family, but she had more than enough for a feast.. perhaps she was feeding a village?

     "That is why we don't destroy forests, because of beauties like that." Winter gestured to the dark grey unicorn sporting a mid-length midnight blue mane and tail.

     "Whatever." Savina mumbled.

     "You know, I was expecting you to be more lively."

     "And I was expecting you to be able to control your hormones."

     ".....Fair enough." Winter quietly approached the saberhorn, clearing his throat when he was just out of arm's reach. The mare gave a little squeak as she jumped, dropping the basket and dumping a fair group of fruits on the ground while she spun to face him "Hello, dearie, you should know who I am.." She shook her head slowly "Your king.." his expression narrowed.

     "I- I am not ruled by anyone!" She stumbled back and took off running the opposite direction. Savina appeared a ways in front of her, charging an attack spell. The saberhorn's horn glowed as her arms turned to blades, deflecting the spell as it was thrown at her. The mare charged Savina, flicking her across the cheek and kicking her side, forcing her to turn. While her back was turned, Savina's back was cut open with an unbleeding cut, the saberhorn disappeared.

     "No! Damn it!" Winter shouted "Follow her!" Savina was on her knees panting, slowly crumpling to the ground. "What is your problem?!" She just gave a wheeze before disappearing. "Useless." Winter shook his head and began to walk away, angered.

     Meanwhile, Savina was having difficulty with keeping up with the saberhorn's constant teleports.. It almost seemed as if.. She was draining magic from Savina's pool. The saberhorn gave one last teleport before Savina couldn't continue following, she stopped trying and just shuffled off towards the nearest town where she collapsed in a heap

in an alleyway..

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     A few hours later, the ash mare woke to the sound of shouting and hoofsteps headed her way, some armor clanking as well. Savina grumbled and gently rubbed her head.. the hood was still on.

Several stallions appeared in the alleyway, all wearing a snow white armor- Meridians.

     “You, mare! Where did she go?!” One of them yelled at her.

     “Wha..”

     “Dont play dumb with me!” The shouting meridian grabbed her by the collar and hoisted her up to meet him at eye level. He took one look at her and dropped her instantly “I- Im so sorry, ma’am!! I didn't recognize you!” he stepped away, clearly terrified.

     “You're lucky my magic pool is drained.. i’d have frozen you as soon as you touched me…

GET LOST!” The meridians quickly ran off.

     Savina looked up at the sky.. it was still night. She needed to see someone, but she needed a map to find them.

She headed off down the street, in search of a vendor that was open.. there was one. Savina approached the stall and the gryphon behind freaked out.

     “nono!! Dont hurt me, please, I did nothing!!” She even hid behind a barrel to make the fear apparent.

     “Hush.. I am here to barter.. what do you have on the forests in this region.”

     “uh.. which side.. North or Sou-”

     ”Both.”

     “One moment..”

     “Make it hasty.” The gryphon ducked under the stall and rummaged around for a minute or so before finally pulling out two hard map cases, fit with straps.

     “Four hundred bits.. ma’am.” Savina took the maps and slammed a bag of bits on the table.

     “thrown in a case of quills and it's worth it.”

     “Done.” The gryphon set a round tube on the counter.

Savina instantly grabbed it and walked off, leaving the bits behind.

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     “Okay… let's see… I'll check the north woods first, then make my way down to the south.” Savina was looking over her maps,sucking on one of her quills in the meantime. “Yeah.. That’ll work.” She nodded softly and rolled up the map, setting it in the case.

     Savina slung the case over her shoulder and headed off east, pulling a compass from her bag, she quickly turned the other way, north and headed off.

     A few minutes later, Savina came across a forest, she took the map out to check her location and put an ‘X’ next to the wooded area with what seemed to be a purple ink. Then she walked in the vegetation, spying a light up ahead. She ran towards it..

     Savina found a cottage at the end of the light, it seemed familiar… Perhaps her lab partner’s?.. She approached and knocked gently “H-Hello?..”

     A tall zebra answered the door, his eyes drifting down till his met her own, waiting eyes

     “Oh my go- Savina!!” The zebra hugged her tightly and yanked her inside “I thought you were dead!” Savina returned the tight embrace with her own, pathetic physique.

     “I may as well have been dead, Winter found me… just.. Do-”

     “What the- XERON?! WHY IS SHE HERE?!! SHE NEARLY KILLED ME!” It was the saberhorn from the woods. Savina’s eyes widened as she stepped away, the zebra- Xeron -allowed it. The bat’s arms turned to blades again as she approached, Xeron held her back

     “What are you doing?!”

     “SHE WORKS FOR WINTER!!” The bat screeched at both of them.

     “Savina?...” Xeron turned to Savina, She’d had pressed herself against the wall.. She was nodding slowly.

     “He.. He poisoned the Gryphon Council.. Forced them to give him their military powers..” Xeron’s eyes went wide ‘Wha.. what the… no.. no.. that’s not possible..”

     “It’s what happened…” Savina’s voice was rather shaky. The bat was calmer now.

     “How do we know she’s not a spy?”

     “Savina…”

     “.. let me help.. “

     “As much as I want to trust you, I can't.”

     “No! Please!!” Savina cried, dropping to her knees and hugging his legs “D-don't send me off…” she mumbled, looking up to him. She whispered towards him

“I.. I just wanted to see you again.”

     “...” Xeron stared down at her, obviously thinking.

    “You can't seriously be considering letting her stay!” The saberhorn was practically shouting again.

     “Please..” Savina whispered, tears had formed in her eyes at that point.

     “Fine…”

     “WHAT?!!” The saberhorn was absolutely furious. She stormed right out of the cottage. Savina was full out crying again, hugging Xeron tightly while muttering to herself

     “thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou…” Xeron gently tugged Savina up to her hooves and hugged gently, as to not crush her. Afterwards, she was led to a bed and told to lie down.. she did so without question and was left alone in the dark.