Chapter 6: Running From Nothing

Volume 1: Rise
Arc I: Purge
Chapter 6: Running from Nothing
Perspective: Miles

Dammit, this can't be happening. I just realized the sword I inherited from the Eremita head is gone. Fuck, I don't even know how I could have lost it. All I remember is a green lightning bolt striking the ground, then nothing. I guess that's my next objective. I'll let the others deal with Nightmare Moon. In time, I will be back for Luna. But this sword is more important right now.

I'm running along the northern fringes of the Whitetail Woods, near Vanhoover Island, trying to look for anything that could tell me where my sword is. I really hope it didn't break like the last time I had to recover it. It cost ten fucking million credits to get it fixed because the materials were so rare, there was only enough for my sword.

I set my thoughts aside as I continue running, trying to look for anything that will tell me what I need to know. I stop momentarily to catch my breath about five minutes later, looking around. Hmm, what's that glow in the water?

I'm looking out over the water near Vanhoover Island, and I see a yellow glow about half a kilometer away from the southern edge of the island, in a dark area of water, which most likely means it is much deeper than the water around it. Damn, whatever it is, it's going to be hard to get to.

I flare my magic and jump over the cliff edge, moving into a diving position, my lips curling into a euphoric smile as I prepare to break the surface of the water.

As I enter the water, I hold my breath and use my magic to propel myself through the water toward the yellow glow. As I get closer, I find a green and black shard of what looks like an ancient sword. I can’t tell if it’s mine or someone else’s, but right now, what matters is that I get it and get out of the water before I drown.

I struggle to break free of what seems like an iron grip on my heel, and I know I’m running out of time, because I can feel my struggles becoming weaker due to the lack of oxygen in my body.

I continue to fight, though eventually it becomes meaningless. I stop moving and watch as what looks like a dolphin tail wrap around my waist just before I lose consciousness.

Seven Hours Later

I shoot up and look around frantically, then start checking my own body to confirm that I’m actually still alive. I thought I drowned. Who saved me?

I turn around quickly when I hear a splashing sound and see someone emerge from the water…a human? No… it’s definitely not human, it has what looks like a dolphin tail in place of human legs around its lower body. It looks like a female, due to its rather circular face structure, smooth jaw and cheek bones, and the rather slim upper body definition, as well as the petite pair of breasts residing on its chest.

My suspicion is confirmed when the creature speaks in what definitely sounds like a female voice. “Hello, human. I am Yaren, a water denizen, or, as your kind called them before they went underground, a mermaid. May I ask what you are doing here? If the accounts of the civilizations of my kind are accurate, you went extinct over fifteen thousand years ago.
What? Last I remember, it was three thousand. And water denizen? I never heard of them.

“Oh. Well, one of the scientists of my time hit me with a time-traveling device that sent me here. I haven’t managed to find a way back.” Yaren nods and her face takes on a contemplative quality.

“That is rather unfortunate,” Yaren responds sorrowfully after a long minute of thought. I quickly dismiss the sentiment with a wave of my hand, not much caring about the past. “It seems to me you would rather not be here, so I will allow you to leave. But be warned, the item you seek is broken, split into many pieces and scattered across the world. In order to retrieve them, you must accompany the other humans on their journeys, for only they hold the key to re-forging it.”

The hell? How does she know about the sword… unless I was right and the glow, assuming she’s right, is a shard of the broken sword I need.

Yaren moves to go back into the water, and a couple minutes later, she comes out with what looks like an ornate gold helmet, a flawlessly cut jade embedded in a socket right above and between the eyeholes. The jade emits a soft green aura, and my magic is telling me that it is a magic storage gem. Yaren brings the helm before me, motioning for me to take it, which I do so reluctantly, my entire body tensed as if it were a venomous snake poised for the strike.

“Do not fret, human. This helm has special properties. The golden metal forming the helm is enchanted to allow telepathy, and the jade embedded in its grooves can store magic and hides an amethyst that allows for long-range communication. This helm will be very beneficial to you, but do not squander its power.” Yaren turns to the front of the cave. “It is time now for you to depart. Take your sword shard with you; you will need it in due time.”

I turn and leave the cave, finding myself on a small sandy beach next to the hole where I found the shard. I reluctantly move out, turning myself back towards Ponyville. If what Yaren said is to be believed, then this whole fiasco with Nightmare Moon’s escape might find me getting another shard. I’ll help the others… for now. Only time will tell, though, whether I stay or I leave once again.

Author's Note

Hello again, everypony! I hope you liked Chapter 6, as it took a lot of thought and overcoming three separate occasions of writer's block to put out, and even then, it's barely got over a thousand words, one of the shortest chapters I've ever written. Don't forget to comment on how you think I did with the chapter, as I live off reader review and it helps me further and more beneficially develop my story!

Now, before I go, I have to warn you about one thing: FINALS. That's right, it's that dreaded time once every school semester where I have to take a two-week break from EVERYTHING else to study for and hopefully ace my final exams. I'll keep writing as much and as well as I can until December 4th, but on midnight December 5th, consider this story temporarily on hiatus. If I happen to have a free period (like study hall or some such) anywhere in the next two weeks, I'll use it to keep working on the next chapter.

This can only be said for the first week (next week). The reason for that is next week is mainly REVIEWING for the final tests, and some periods I don't actually DO a final, so they're treated as study halls. After the end of next week, from December 12th to December 16th, all my time and energy are going into making sure these are the best damn finals I've ever done, considering I've already had to drop a class this semester. If I can write between now and December 5th, then I will. If I can't, then I'll see everyone on December 17th with a double update!

Anyways, that's all the news for today, so see you later, everypony!