A Coward's Story

A good while later, in the friendship castle's throne room...

"And so, here I stand," Exhorresco finished re-telling his story to the ponies and hung his head in shame.

Utter silence engulfed the room as the minds of the ponies tried to process everything they had just heard. Even if the ponies considered his actions to be despicable, none of them dared accuse him, given the circumstances. Even as they saw him just sitting there and silently scolding himself in his thoughts, they couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"You really regret running away, don't you?" Twilight asked in a compassionate tone.

Exhorresco closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Even if victory was not ours to claim, I never should have abandoned my brothers like that."

"If you had a chance to re-live that moment, do you think you would have stayed?" the princess asked in the same tone as before. She and her friends watched the warrior dwelling in his thoughts as he tried to find the answer within himself.

"I don't know..." he quietly replied. "Fear is not a feeling I am familiar with... Up until that very second I started feeling it, I never even considered running to be an option."

"Don't worry, Exhorresco." Twilight smiled at the saddened warrior. "I'm sure we'll find a way to get you back home."

"There's no point, I'm afraid," he replied. "Returning home will do me no good if I haven't "learned my lesson"."

"Yeah, about that..." Rainbow Dash interjected. "What did the sage mean when he said that, anyways? Why send Exhorresco to a place like Equestria when he should be out fighting giant monsters instead?"

"I don't know what he had planned for Exhorresco," Twilight admitted and shook her head. "But Exhorresco seems to trust the judgement of this sage. If he's as powerful and wise as Exhorresco says, I'm sure there's a very good reason why he--" Before Twilight could finish her sentence, her attention got drawn to her own cutie mark that was shining brightly. Taking a glance at her friends, she saw that all of their cutie marks had also started glowing.

"The cutie map!" Rarity exclaimed. Just as she did, the table that they had gathered around turned into a projection of a map of Equestria.

"What sorcery is this?" Exhorresco asked as he gazed upon the map with a troubled look on his face.

"The map is summoning us," Twilight replied.

"Sweet!" Rainbow Dash shouted and flew up in the air from excitement.

"Ooh! All six of us!" Pinkie said while her eyes followed every move of the floating cutie marks.

"You are being summoned... by a map?" the confused warrior asked.

"I know it may sound strange, but the cutie map has a way of knowing when there's trouble in Equestria, as well as which of the six of us would be best suited for solving it," Twilight explained.

"Just like the sage..." Exhorresco muttered.

"What was that?" Twilight asked, unsure of what the man had just said.

"This is incredible! This magical map of yours is like an inanimate version of our sage," he clarified. He seemed rather intrigued by the idea.

"I suppose that's one way to put it..." Twilight responded while rubbing her chin and considering the man's words.

"Uhh..." Applejack uttered. Even though she could barely be heard, she still managed to catch everyone's attention. "I don't mean to interrupt, but haven't y'all noticed something strange about the cutie marks on the map?"

As a response to her words, everyone turned their attention towards the said cutie marks, widening their eyes as soon as they noticed just what was so strange about them.

"Is that..."

"A seventh cutie mark!" Twilight finished Rarity's sentence.

"Woohoo!" Pinkie exclaimed and started cheerfully jumping around. "We get to meet a new friend!"

"I say, what sort of cutie mark is that?" Rarity curiously inquired.

"I don't know," Pinkie shamelessly admitted. "And I know everypony in Ponyville!"

"We know," her five friends said in unison.

"But if even Pinkie Pie doesn't recognize that cutie mark, how are we supposed to find the pony with that mark?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking to Twilight for an answer, along with the rest of her friends. "Twilight?"

"Hmm..." Twilight could only rub her chin as a response. Clearly, not even she knew just how to resolve this strange situation.

"What is that cutie mark, anyways?"

"Is that a... sword?" Rarity asked, surprised by the sight.

"Not just any sword," Exhorresco interjected, drawing the attention of all the ponies towards himself. "A double-edged sword. The mark of the double-edged blade tribe."

All six ponies widened their eyes the instant they heard Exhorresco's explanation.

"But... that can't be true..." Twilight said in a quiet voice.

"It appears that we are of one mind, princess." Exhorresco slammed his palms on the table. "But I would still very much like to know why is it that this magical map of yours even knows of my presence," he said while scowling at Twilight.

"I don't know... This shouldn't even be possible," Twilight admitted. "The map has never asked for anyone aside from two or all of the six of us, let alone someone who isn't even a pony."

Seeing that the eyes of the alicorn held no lies, Exhorresco removed his hands from the table and began stroking his beard. "Hmm... I wonder if the sage could have somehow had a part in this..."

"Do you honestly think he could have somehow known about the map and even altered the way it functions?" Twilight inquired with wide-open eyes. "Is this sage of yours really that powerful?"

"You already know what he did after I fled the battlefield... After seeing such a raw display of power, I no longer have doubts that the sage is more powerful than most of our warriors can even comprehend," Exhorresco answered and awaited for someone to answer him, but his words seemed to bring nothing but another round of silence. "I suppose it doesn't really matter. If your map feels like I should be present for this ordeal, then I shall not defy it... Where exactly are we being summoned?"

"There." Applejack directed everyone's attention at a small grove under their floating cutie marks. "Is that... Veilwood grove?" she asked with a confused look.

"Why would the map send us there?" Twilight asked. "There's nothing there but a small patch of trees and..." She stopped in mid sentence.

"And what, Twilight?" Applejack asked and curiously stared at Twilight along with the rest of the room.

"It's nothing," she replied in a tone that wasn't too convincing and started heading towards the door. "Come on. The map hasn't led us astray so far. If it's calling us to Veilwood grove, then I'm sure there must be something there that needs our attention!"

"And my sword, apparently," Exhorresco slyly added while following the pack at the very back.

"Riiight..." Rainbow Dash uttered.

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that..."

"Agreed."

***

Veilwood grove was located in a desolate area, not too far from Ponyville. Before too long, the company of seven had already found their way to the specified woods and had begun walking through them in search for whatever reason they had been summoned.

As they made their way deeper into the small forest, they inspected their surroundings along the way... However, there simply wasn't much to inspect. Veilwood grove wasn't lively like the Everfree forest, nor did it emit the feeling of constantly being surrounded by strange woodland creatures, but these woods were strange, nevertheless.

In contrast to the Everfree forest, these woods seemed to have no life in them at all. No matter how deep the heroes went, they could never hear so much as a chirp from a bird or the sound of wind blowing through the treetops... Veilwood grove was the prime definition of the word "still".

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Rainbow Dash asked, still unconvinced that there was anything here to be had.

"This is where the map sent us." Twilight nodded. "I'll admit, I can't imagine anything that would require all of us to come to Veilwood grove, but I have every reason to believe that the map knows what its doing."

"I hope you're right..."

"Say... Twilight?" Applejack uttered and trotted closer to the princess. "Back at the castle, you mentioned something other than trees inside Veilwood grove." She hinted.

"Oh!" Twilight exclaimed. "It's nothing... Just an old pony tale."

"Twilight, please," Rarity instantly spoke up after hearing that phrase. "After everything we've been through, you should know all too well that there's usually no smoke without fire when it comes to these old pony tales."

Realizing that she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of this one, Twilight sighed and decided to not make this any longer than it has to be. "One of my older and not-so-credible books mentioned something about an ancient entity residing inside the deepest part of the Veilwood grove."

"Here we go..." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"It is said that this entity chose Veilwood grove as its home because it was the only place in Equestria that was dark and quiet enough to not wake it from its slumber. It is also said that this creature was encased in stone upon falling asleep. Legend has it that the prolonged presence of this strange statue would eventually cause the trees around it to recede, eventually creating a clearing large enough for the sun to find its way to it, and that should even a single ray of sunlight reach its skin, it will awaken from its slumber and unleash its rage upon the unsuspecting ponies of Equestria."

"Huh..." Applejack uttered. "Just what kind of creature are we talking about, anyways?"

"A gargoyle," Twilight answered

"A gargoyle?" her friends asked in shock.

"Yes." She nodded in approval. "But, like I said, it's just an old pony tale. Only a complete fool would--" Before she could utter another word, Twilight and all of her friends bore witness to a sight that made them all gasp in awe. "But... It can't be!"

As much as Twilight would have wished that what she was seeing wasn't really there, there was no denying the old legend anymore as they walked straight into a small clearing with a giant stone statue standing right in the middle of it.

"The gargoyle!"

"I've got a feeling we might be needing that sword of yours, Exhorresco!" Rainbow Dash nervously added.

"It stands ready," the warrior replied and placed his swordarm on the hilt of his weapon.

"Look!" Applejack exclaimed while pointing upwards.

The ponies gasped again as they saw the sunlight piercing through the treetops, slowly finding its way to the statue. Just as the very first small ray of light touched the statue, small cracks began splitting the creature's stone coat. As the cracking only became more intense, stone splinters also began flying in every direction, and the creature started shaking violently.

"Get ready, everyone," Twilight ordered and took a few steps away from the statue. "Exhorresco. Do you think you can..." Without finishing her sentence, Twilight turned around as soon as she heard the sound of someone running. "Exhorresco?" she called out, but the man could no longer hear them.

As if things didn't seem bad enough, now their most promising fighter had just left the six of them to fend for themselves.

"What do we do?" Applejack asked with both her expression and tone devoid of confidence. "Twilight?" she asked again after seeing their leader only staring at the living statue with the same kind of look.

"Ruuun!" Twilight screamed. Just as she did so, the creature completely tore off what was still left of its stone skin and roared at the ponies with diabolic fury.

Not requiring any further motivation, the ponies did just as told and started running as fast they could. The creature did not follow them right away, it seemed, but as it kept letting out its demonic shrieks, nopony even dared to do so much as look back.

***

After a good while of running, the screams lessened in force, but no matter how far they got away from the gargoyle, they could still hear its nightmare-inducing voice.

Reaching the edge of the grove, the ponies noticed the runaway warrior reclining against a tree.

Immediately approaching him with an unforgiving look on her face, Twilight interrogated him. "What... was that!?" she asked in a voice that wasn't too loud, but still as fierce as fire. Receiving no reply right away, she shouted, "Well!?"

"Fear..." Exhorresco whispered in a tone full of remorse.

"So!?" Twilight retorted. "Do you think none of us were afraid back there?"

"Not in the same way as me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight impatiently asked without hoping for a reply. "The last time I checked, fear only has one definition."

"So it does," Exhorresco added and hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry... I've never feared any foe that I can strike down with cold steel, but I'm still trying to figure out how to fight the one living inside me now."

Despite his apology, Twilight could still only scowl at the warrior with contempt. "Well, until you figure that out, I'd prefer it if you didn't show up in my castle!" With that being said, she huffed and left, as did the rest of her friends... Well, all aside from one, that is.

The one pony that understood what the warrior was going through lingered at the very back for a while longer. Instead of huffing, she looked upon the frowning warrior with a compassionate look that was full of the same kind of sadness as his own.

"Fluttershy? You coming?" Applejack called out as soon as she noticed that her friend had fallen behind a bit.

It seemed as though Fluttershy was about to say something as she took a few steps closer to Exhorresco, but it didn't seem like he wanted to be troubled for the time being, so she just followed Applejack.

No matter how long the warrior sat and pondered on how to rid himself of this newfound enemy that came from within himself, he simply could not find any kind of answer... and so, he kept sitting for quite some time, up until the very moment he decided to stand up and look for an answer to his cowardice problem by talking to the only other coward he knew.