Healing Properties

Lotus was hundreds of miles and dozens of years away, in a vast hall of the palace. Around her on the floor stood tin figures of ponies: rearing pegasi, crouching unicorns, earth ponies caught in mid-gallop. She used to giggle and push them along the gigantic map, nudging them into parades and designing – each pony acting like a house – big towns and streets.

Sometimes, she’d snap demands to the two servants and the maid standing guard on the edge. Find a friend off the street, she’d snap. A “friend” would duly be dragged in, trembling and agreeing to everything.

They just didn’t understand.

But now the palace was beyond the timber villages and the forests and mountains of Grani, past the minor plains countries south of the Hyperborean Range and on the edge of the Great Griffon Wall. She’d passed across the Celestial Sea, past the Grittish Isles, and Trottingham, across the islands, past the mossy hills of Beachy Island, over the towering spike of Summit Island, and finally landing upon the east coast. Lotus could feel her mind easing back like stretched gum squeezed back into a ball.

Lotus peered back as though to see the green and blue expanses of the map, and saw, down the slope and far out on the coast, the colossal wall that ran as a ring around the offshore settlement. Towers rose as wooden and metal mountains, artificial imitations created by hooves and horns and others besides. The wall leaned out slightly like the first petals of a lotus flower. It was so tall that only the few dozen spires and blocks could rise above it, yet it was just possible to see the flat brick rooftops of the settlement.

Magjeney Haatan.

Sadly, that was miles away. On top of the plateau, Lotus boiled against the endless sands and heat haze. The closest she’d ever gotten to such heat back home was the southern country of Raskol, but even that desert allowed dry snow half the time, and there the heat had merely soaked her to the skin. This drowned her. She strained to breathe, blinked films of sweat out of her eyes, and resisted the urge to scrabble back down the slope.

Darn this country, she thought. There shouldn’t be a desert this far north. Equestria is truly a mess.

She and the clerk peered out across the haze. In the distance, a dust cloud bloomed.

“Hopefully,” said the clerk, “this won’t be any harder than the diamond dog clans.”

“Ha.” Lotus shook her head, and felt her slick hair limply whipping her cheeks. “Diamond dogs are easy to please. They only want gemstones. We could always spare the gem-seekers, anyway.”

“Unicorns? At this time, Your Highness?”

The dust cloud grew. Thudding noises rumbled across the sandy flats.

“Yes, at this time. We haven’t seen a single Equestrian force in weeks. If they were so confident, we would’ve seen some retaliatory forces by now.” She squinted at the approaching shapes, which resembled furry boulders. “The Snakes are punctual, I see. Good. Finally, a species that knows how to keep time.”

The clerk grunted doubtfully. “Yes, why are they called ‘Snakes’ anyway?”

“Who knows?”

“I mean, is it related to our snake symbolism? Do they even know about Ophiuchus Tide?”

They should do. Through layers of boiling and burning, Lotus felt the old shiver of a mare standing on the edge of a precipice. Ophiuchus, the pegasus physician of the old empire. The father of healing. Even Equestrian chroniclers must know him. If they don’t know about him, I’ll make sure they do by the time I’ve finished.

The thudding of hooves drowned out her thoughts, and then the dust swelled and the sound stopped. Beneath the settling cloud, the wall of buffaloes surrounded them.

It was hard to tell how many there were. They blocked each other out so well that an entire herd could’ve stood there and not been seen from the centre. All of them had braids and ribbons wrapped around their horns and necks and ears and legs and midriffs. Everything had little eyes and forked tongues. They could have been half-embalmed with snakes.

Despite the heat, Lotus felt her legs shaking.

One buffalo stepped forwards. Beside her, the clerk sidestepped until he was almost shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

“The Snakes hear your call for parley,” boomed the buffalo, and to her surprise he spoke in perfect Equestrian. “I am Basiliskus, named for the immortal snake of fear. We strike deadly, crippling terror into our enemies with but a glance. We destroy our foes and leave their settlements to decay. Now” – he leaned forwards, his entire head big enough to eclipse Lotus’ entire body – “who are you to summon us, little pony?”

Lotus’ legs stiffened. Little pony?

Briefly, she wondered if learning Equestrian was really such a surprise. After all, she’d learned it. The language was a lingua franca all over. Moreover, according to the locals, the buffalo and the Equestrian settlers had fought for so long that they’d picked up each other’s languages, the better to figure out what their enemy was going to do next.

She licked her desiccated lips. “We’ve come to seek… an agreement with you, proud warriors.”

His snort blew plumes of dust up from her hooves and over her blue front, up to her chin. “An agreement? Intruders come to us to seek an agreement? Plunderers and land-stealers. We know your types.”

Then why did you agree to meet us, then? Hastily, Lotus waved a hoof. Look as pathetic and weak as possible, she thought. They think we’re little ponies, we’ll give them little ponies. See where it takes us.

“N-Not at all,” she quavered. “We are but simple pioneers, explorers, and travellers. We-We did not mean to trespass on your sacred g-ground.”

She elbowed the clerk, who gave a start and then caught her eye. As one, they kneeled on one leg each and bowed their heads low.

“We seek redemption for the thoughtless crimes we have committed,” she continued to the sand, “but also to plead. We have struggled just to come this far for a new home. We seek our own rights, too, for a homeland.”

Buffaloes murmured amongst themselves. She and the clerk stood up. They followed the herd’s gazes to the skies.

From the ring walls of Magjeney Haatan, silhouettes flapped up and over. Winged creatures flew across the bleached blue, barrels gripped in their talons. Relieved as she was at the sight, the stirrings of the buffalo sounded close to the usual snorts given before charging.

“Griffons?” said Basiliskus.

“Fear not,” she said. “They are friends. In recognition of the harm and offence caused, we offer you proud buffalo our finest compensation.”

Six barrels thumped onto the ground between her and the surrounding buffalo. A few lows rumbled across them. Beside her, the clerk squeaked.

“Ha!” Basiliskus prodded one near him. “Trying to buy us off, are you? Who do you think you are?”

“Oh no, sir.” Lotus reached forwards, hoof on the edge of the lid. Safe inside her head, her mind rolled on the floor and laughed. “If anything, I wish to protect the temple of the body, whosever body it is: buffalo, pony, griffon. In our language, and this is a rough translation, this is imported specially from… the Divinity Glade.”

She flipped the lid, but there was barely any need to. All buffalo eyes focused on the waters within.

Basiliskus threw back his massive head. “Divinity, eh? Fine-sounding words, but… Well, we will see. Call the Snake Sage.”

Deeper lows rumbled out from the chief’s throat, rattling Lotus’ bones. For the first time, she felt as small as she must’ve looked, a little blue dot amid the hairy tumour of the desert. She wanted to pat the shaking clerk on the shoulder, to reassure him, but no. She could not show weakness.

Another buffalo pushed through the throng. Unlike the others, the snakes wrapped around his body were slithering and hissing.

Lotus took a step back, and then raised the other leg in a futile hope she could still flee.

Chief Basiliskus nodded to the open barrel. “Test it.”

All snakes rushed across the sage’s body and slithered from his dangling beard into the drink. The buffalo at the front craned their heads to peer inside. Lotus couldn’t resist joining them.

Not that she had any doubts. She knew how this would go. It was just nice to see it confirmed.

At first, the snakes simply crisscrossed at random over the surface. Then, to the gasps of the herd, they all coiled round on themselves and bit their own tails. Soon, scaly rings floated on the water.

“The ouroboros…” Chief Basiliskus gaped at Lotus. “This… really is divine water?”

“It is all yours,” said Lotus, not even hiding the smirk. “My fellows have used sacred springs and holy waters from hundreds of sites. I see no reason why buffalo cannot join us.”

The clerk, fighting against his own trembling lips, added, “And naturally, in ex-exchange, the sovereignty of our colonies must be respected –”

Lotus could have strangled him. At once, the buffalo pawed at the sand, the scrapes hitting her from all sides.

“What did you say!?” bellowed Basiliskus, lowering his head. “Sovereignty? Over our land? Is that a challenge!?”

“You idiot,” Lotus hissed at the cringing clerk. A headache began roasting the inside her skull. She was finding it harder to keep up with things. “Why not tell them to bow down to us, while you’re at it?”

To the buffalo, she added, “I am sorry. My friend has not seen the outside of a city very often, and he leaps where he should trot. There is no condition to accept the sovereignty. We exist solely by your leave.”

One by one, the buffalo stopped crouching to charge and started standing up straight. Chief Basiliskus chuckled under his breath.

“But,” she continued, and when he stiffened again she blurted out, “But we have a common enemy! Equestria’s settler ponies need resisting. Like you, I have seen them drive our kin off our land for their own greed and gluttony when they already conquer most of the continent! Our few settlers at the start only wanted a better life to live, and these Equestrians sent them back across the sea.”

The desert silence rolled in.

Eventually, Chief Basiliskus peered down at the snakes in the water, which slithered back up the sage’s neck. “I see. There is truth in what you say, but… ah, you are still ponies. I must consult with my fellows.”

While they turned their backs and bellowed amongst themselves, Lotus wiped her brow and tried not to let her knees go weak. Still the sun scorched her brain. She could feel her concentration evaporating.

“Here,” whispered the clerk, slipping her a decanter. “I remembered to bring it specially.”

She gulped the sweet silken seeps, almost emptying the decanter within seconds. The familiar tickle of a petal ran along her palate. Good. Petal-dipped spring water. Nothing else.

“Erm,” he whispered, eyeing up the huddle. “If I may be so bold as to enquire, Your Highness, is there any particular reason you requested such a specific beverage?”

“Yes,” she said coldly, handing him the decanter.

They waited in silence. The clerk coughed and tucked it away.

All the buffalo rounded on them, hairy boulders on turntables. She forced herself to stand still; the chill of the spring water washed away the cooking insides, cleansing her mind again.

“We Snakes,” he said, and a slight smile flickered on his muzzle, “have decided to allow the settlements to remain for the time being. At least, until you can satisfy us about certain ones nearer the north.”

Lotus’ eye twitched. Aha.

“Northern ones?” she said. “Beyond the settlements of our walled city?”

“Near the mountain caves, yes.”

Gotcha, she thought. “I see. Sadly, those are most likely not our allies, but a splinter faction determined to oppose us. We call them the ‘Tundragoons’. With your assistance, I would happily send out a party to root them out.”

Now that we know where they’re hiding. Now I have a chance to find out if those selfish cowards sent the curse on my leg.

Perhaps the buffalo would like to… take care of them.

To her shock, Chief Basiliskus surged into her and two stumpy legs clamped around her shoulders. Pressed against the wall of muscle, she squirmed. Hairs like porcupine prickles jabbed into her chest and face.

Then the buffalo let go. She panted for breath, opened her mouth to shriek at him, and then caught herself in time.

No. Let them be. It’s just their way, I expect…

No damn rug is going to get close to me again. She looked down and saw shed hairs run along her front. His musk battered her nostrils.

“Thus is it sealed,” said Chief Basiliskus, and now his face burst with a grin. “Our new… little friends.”

Cheers broke out amongst the buffalo, who surged forwards the haul the barrels onto each other’s backs. At once, the clerk stepped forwards.

“If I may,” he said smartly, whipping out a clipboard, “as a senior representative of the ‘Tyrannus Extremis Company’, it is my duty to inform you of your new rights as buffalo citizens –”

Snorts and stillness met his words.

“Sorry,” he squeaked, lowering his clipboard, “I meant buffalo guests – I-I meant buffalo hosts – aheheh, as of course we are not entitled to sovereignty over these territories save by your leave.”

“What are these settlements?” Chief Basiliskus said while the herd dispersed and thundered back across the sands.

“Ah, we are proud to announce that there are many smaller settlements for your consideration.” The clerk flipped a paper over. “We have Hearalam, Pronoaklin, Sattalero, Vraido-Lo-Wuyay, Grench, Boronoko, Jyonghurs…”

“Such strange names,” murmured Chief Basiliskus.

“Oh, many species and countries have settled here, sir. We will gladly pass on your good news to all of them, sir. Perhaps you’d like me to explain the arrangements as they stand?”

While the two mumbled over the clipboard, Lotus turned away from the emptied desert and towards the distant wall of the city.

My word, she thought. We could do this. We could really do it.  If even the buffalo and the diamond dogs can be won round so easily, what species won’t join our colonies? So many hate Equestria already. Maybe we are just getting started…

Once more, she saw herself standing over the map, little tin figures spread across it so easily by her hooves. She’d dreamed so much back then. The white throne shaped like the lotus flower. Her sitting astride it, peering out across a map which became a country below the clouds.

She shook her head. No. That was a princess’ dream. It was childish.

One more time, she glanced back at her cutie mark. The lotus blossom. She hadn’t obtained that by sitting over the maps and giggling to herself. That was back when she’d still hoped her parents would one day talk to her, or at least not take her aside to ask if she really meant to drag ponies off the street as “friends”.

The lotus: purity of the body and mind. Creation and renewal.

“While growing from mud,” she recited under her breath, “it is itself unstained.”

She looked upon her city. She had a divine promise to meet. The fundamental basis.

Soon… she thought. We’re not much to look at now, but… soon…

***