Author's Note
Hello everyone, and welcome to my brainchild, Altruism! This story has been in my head for well over a year now, and about a month ago I decided to start taking all the ideas I had piling up in there, and start laying them out in Google Docs. 10 Pages later and I has enough world building laid out to be comfortable starting on this tale of loss, honor, and heroics!
I would like all of you reading this to know, before you start the prologue, that the lack of character detail in this chapter is intentional. This prologue I intended to set the mood for whats going, and introduce more the personality of the main character and his father, before you got to know them on a superficial level.
The tentative release schedule for this story, minus the prologue, is to release one chapter every Friday. As of posting this prologue, I already have a decent start on chapter 1, and will continue to write ahead, even if the chapter for the week is posted already. My goal is to have all of the chapters written ahead of time. If i do this a blog post and authors note will be made updating the release schedule.
If anyone has anything they see that I missed grammar or spelling wise, please do not hesitate to let me know!
Prologue
“Hey dad, where are we going again?”
The young colt tore his eyes away from the passing desert scenery and looked across the train, awaiting his father's response.
With a smile the father looked up from his newspaper. “Same place as last time you asked, son.” He teased “The train is taking us to Dodge Junction, and from there we will be joining up with the next caravan heading to Ironoak Landing.”
“Why are we going there, daddy?” The young colt questioned, cocking his head slightly to the side.
A sad look in his eyes, the father simply replied, “Because we have friends there, and Canterlot doesn’t have anything for us anymore.”
“Does this have to do with mommy?” The colt asked softly, hoping not to upset his father any more than he could tell he already was.
With a sigh, the father waited a minute before responding. “You always were a quick one, quiet and observant, just like me.” He responded with a slight chuckle. “After what happened to you mother, the guard doesn't have a place for me anymore. I know it wasn't their fault, but part of me couldn't get over what happened, and the role my commanding officer played in everything.”
With tears in his eyes, the young colt hopped down from his seat and crossed the train, hugging his father. “It's ok if you want to cry daddy, you know mom wouldn't want you to hold it in.” The colt said, tears starting to leak from his eyes.
With tears of his own rolling down his face, the father pulled his son into a firm, yet gentle hug. “You’re so much like your mother, how did get so lucky with you?” The father asked.
“That's easy daddy,” the colt responded, smiling up at his father “you and mommy are the best parents ever, that's how!”
With a sad smile and a sniffle, the father pulled his colt into another firm embrace, quietly saying “And you're the best colt ever. Your mommy and I love you very much, and don't you ever forget that.”
The two held the embrace as the desert rolled by, both slowly closed their eyes, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the train.
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As the train pulled into the station at Dodge Junction, the two slowly rose from their shared seat, stretching and collecting the belongings they had in the car with them. As they disembarked and stepped onto the platform, the father led his son towards the cargo boxes at the back of the train.
“Now son, I'm going to wait back here for them to unload our belongings.” The father instructed the young colt. “The town may be safe, but try not to wander too far away, there have been reports of bandit activity not that far away.”
The colt gave his father a questioning look at his statement. “But if any show up you can just take care of them, right daddy?”
“Now now,” the father playfully scolded the colt. “Just because you're dear old dad can handle trouble, doesn't mean we need to go looking for it.”
“Okay daddy, I promise I won't go looking for trouble.” With that, the colt wandered off and settled down next to a nearby shack to await his father.
After watching his father and the other stallions unloading the train for a few minutes, the colt got bored and pulled out his copy of Introduction to Magic: A Colt’s and Filly’s Guide to Channeling and Levitation. After reading halfway through the first chapter the young colt noticed a large shadow settle over him. Slowly the colt turned around to see a stallion even larger than his father standing behind him, features shrouded by the sun directly behind him.
“Well hello there, little guy.” The mystery stallion cooed. “You didn't wander away from your daddy now, did ya?”
“No.” The young colt squeaked nervously in response, before pointing a hoof to the train. “He’s right over there helping unload our stuff from the train.”
Gathering his courage, the colt looked back to the stallion with a scowl. “You aren't a bandit, are you? Cus my daddy knows how to handle bandits, and he wouldn't appreciate you talkin to me.” The colt growled, trying his best to look intimidating.
“A bandit?” The mystery stallion laughed. “I know it's been a few years, but surely you haven't forgotten me already? I'm the one who wrote your dad, askin’ for help with bandits. Well, no matter, I was jus’ lookin’ for the old stallion ‘n’ saw you sittin’ here by your lonesome, so I figured I'd come ‘n’ say hi before we got your stuff loaded up. We’re gunna have to leave as soon as we’re all loaded up. The journey’s a long one, and we don't wanna get caught out in the Badlands at night, makes us an easy target for bandits.”
Turning and walking over to cart parked nearby, the stallion turned back to the colt. “Well, reckon I'll leave you to your book while I go help your old stallion unload the rest of your stuff. No sense in puttin’ it all on the ground when you can just put it right in the cart, ya know?”
Hitching himself up, the mystery stallion pulled the cart over to the young colt’s father and started helping him unload their luggage from the train directly to the cart.
Returning his attention back to his book, the colt continued his reading, and started attempting some of the techniques for channeling outlined in the book, until the combination of the near-midday sun and his frustration got the better of him and he stowed his book. Standing up to stretch his legs, the colt turned to the train to check his father’s progress, before looking for some shade to lie down in.
Finding a nice, shady spot, the young colt plopped down and turned his gaze to barren desert landscape, trying to find something to occupy his mind. After multiple changed positions, and many bored huffs, the sound of hoofsteps approaching drew the colt’s attention. Turning to the direction the hoofsteps were coming from, the cold spotted his father, upside down and now clad in armor, making his way towards him. Rolling over, the colt grabbed his saddlebags and rushed to meet his father.
“Are we ready to go yet? I'm bored.” The colt whined, giving his father his best pout to show him how serious he was.
“Almost,” the father laughed, ruffling his son's mane. “We just gotta get the cover on the cart and get you loaded up and we’ll be heading out.
Looking back to the cart, the colt saw the mystery stallion from earlier expertly pulling a large white piece of fabric over the frame of the cart, thing it down with practiced ease. By the time the father and son reached the cart, the cover was secured and the stallion sat by the hitch, waiting for the colt to climb in before he hooked himself up.
Climbing up into the cart, the young colt found he had just enough room to lay his saddlebags out and lie down comfortably. By the time he was all settled in, the mystery stallion had hitched himself to the cart and they were on their way. Still frustrated with his book, and nothing better to do, the colt’s eyes slowly drifted closed and before too long he was gently snoring, lulled to sleep by the steady rocking of the cart.
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The colt awoke with a start as he felt the cart jolt from a sudden impact. Sitting up, the colt noticed the stallion pulling the cart galloping, causing the cart to bounce around on the uneven ground. Poking his head out, he saw that they were in the middle of a group of similar carts, with a small group of armored ponies, including his father, spread out along the left side of the caravan.
“What’s going on!?” The colt yelled up to the stallion, voice quaking with fear.
“Just hold tight and keep your head down!” The stallion yelled back. “We got a group o’ bandits closin’ in from the east!”
“Where’s daddy!?” The colt cried back. “I want my daddy!”
“Don't you worry none, your daddy will be jus’ fine!” The stallion replied, attempting to calm the young colt. “He can handle himself! Besides, once they see how many armed ponies we got guardin’ us, I'm sure they'll decide it's not worth the trouble an’ break off!”
Unsatisfied with his response, the young colt attempted to climb some of the boxes in the cart so he could look out the back and make sure his father was still with the group. The wheel hit a large rock in the trail, jostling the cart and throwing the young colt off of the boxes he had climbed and dangerously close to the opening in the front of the cart.
“Dang it kid, Ah said git down! It's hard enough ta outrun the bandits pullin’ this cart without havin’ ta worry about throwin’ ya!” The stallion yelled, looking back over his shoulder to make sure the young colt was still in the cart.
Deciding it wasn't worth trying again, the young colt huddled down with his hooves over his head and his eyes closed tight. The sound of yelling and metal hitting metal rang out over the thunder of hooves, causing the young colt to huddle down tighter, tears streaming from his eyes as he thought of all of the bad things that could happen to his dad.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He wasn't sure how long he laid there, huddled up in the cart, but the sounds of combat slowly faded away, and eventually the carts slowed down to a more sedate pace. Cautiously poking his head out from his hiding spot, the colt saw that all of the stallions pulling the carts were lathered in sweat, and the armored stallions were making their way back into the group, meeting up with their assigned carts.
“Hey kid,” the stallion called out “why don't you get one o’ those jugs o’ water back there for me ‘n’ your daddy. I'm sure he can use it as much as I can.”
Looking around the inside of the cart, the colt found some jugs of water lined up along the wall where he put his saddlebags. Digging one out, he drug it to the front of the cart just as his father poked his head in to grab it. While his father took a few small swigs from the jug, the colt looked his father over, noting a few scratches on his armor, along with a small gash above his right eye.
“Thanks kiddo,” the father called back to the son “I really needed that. That may not have been as intense as some of our training drills, but I am so not used to this heat anymore.” The father joked, handing the now half empty jug off to the stallion pulling the cart. After he finished the jug, the father took it back and gave it back to his colt, who stored in the cart where he found it.
“It's a bit hard ta see from here,” the stallion pulling the cart started, a hint of pride in his voice “but one we pass into the shadow of the mountain, your new home is straight ahead. And with that little chase the bandits gave us, we made pretty decent time, too.”
The colt climbed up to the very front of the cart, standing on his tippy-toes to try and catch a peek the town they came all this way for. The setting sun in his eyes made it hard to see, but just as the stallion said, once they passed into the shadow of the mountain lining the Badlands, the town came into sight causing the colt’s jaw to drop. The first thing the colt noticed was the large, sturdy looking wooden wall surrounding the town. Snaking their way up the sides of the mountain, the colt saw many trails, leading to just as many openings in the mountain, each with ponies pulling empty carts inside, and carts laden with ore from the mountain. Seeing the security of the wall, and the ponies happily working the mines, the little colt couldn't help but smile.
Ahead of him was Ironoak Landing.
His new home.
