Willful Valor

Chapter 2: Walking and Marks

“Celestia can you read me more of that story?” Twilight yelled when she came into her mentor's bedroom. “You promised me yesterday!”

Celestia once again looked up from her paperwork. She then looked between it and her apprentice contemplating which one was worse. This action repeated a for a few minutes. Celestia sighed.

“It has been a few days…” After reading the first two chapters of the book Celestia had avoided the book but Twilight had been pushing to learn more about it. She had also looked into the ancient mythical race of Humans. Twilight had not been impressed with the results of that search.

Celestia sighed again. She was going to have to read the book otherwise Twilight might start… begging. As adorable as puppy dog eyes were they always seemed to leave a lasting impression on Celestia. Nobles took advantage of this with no remorse. Many stupid things had come about after Twilight had used her deadly weapons.

“Okay.” Celestia said.

A second later the two were curled up in the same position they had been in three days previously. Twilight also felt smug for some reason but couldn't figure out why. After a few seconds of staring at the book Celestia brought it to herself with her magic, opened it, and began to read.

“Chapter 2: Walking and a Mark.”

---------This is a line breaker you ignore it or it breaks you---------

“So you’re better now?” Soul Taker asked.

“Yes.” I replied sitting next to her. I was cold and angry.

“You sure?” She leaned towards me.

“Quite.” I responded with gritted teeth.

It had been a few minutes since I had awoken a second time and I had finally stopped freaking out. This was a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing because now I could think. Bad thing because I now was able to reason. What I was able to figure out about the situation I was in... scared me.

“It’s not that bad.” Soul chirped.

“Your mind reading does not help.” I mutter.

“Sorry Will.” Soul said.

I sigh before trying to stand. It ended in the same result as the ten times before it. I fell on my face. As most people know falling on one's face causes irritation and pain. I seemed to have forgotten that and had to relearn the lesson. Many times.

“You’re a quadruped now Will.” Soul said.

“I refuse to walk on all fours.” I grumble.

“Too bad.” Soul smugly informed.

After a few more tries of being bipedal I gave up and started to try walking like Soul had suggested. I got two steps in and then fell on my face. I was starting to suspect my face was going to break.

“Walk like a cat.” Soul said. “Two legs move as one and then the other two as one.”

That helped.

“Ha! I can walk again!” I pumped a hoof into the air. My face met the ground a second later.

After recovering I practiced until I could move at almost a run without falling over. After that Soul decided that it was time for us to move on. She then also pointed out that I had horrible observation skills.

“What do you mean?” I asked Soul.

“You haven't looked at the area we’re in once.” Soul responded.

I blinked before doing that. I gasped.

“We’ve been in snow this entire time?” My eyes were beyond wide.

“Wow… that’s sad.” Soul sighed.

I was in a winter wonderland. Soul and I were surrounded by drifts of ice and snow. Great pines raised from these drifts and hid the sun from my view. There was also fluffy snow coming down from the sky.

How had I not noticed that? I had been walking and tripping in the damn stuff. The damn paths were all over. I was also fucking cold and wet!

---------This is a line breaker you ignore it or it breaks you---------

Celestia glanced at Twilight.

“I already know what 'damn' means.” Twilight said.

“How?” Celestia asks.

“My brother got in a fight with Mom yesterday.” Twilight said.

“About what?” Celestia questions.

“Why he should't join the Royal Guard.” Twilight then shudders.

“What?” Celestia asks.

“After finding out what ‘damn’ meant I asked what ‘fuck’ meant.” Twilight’s eyes glazed over. "I am scared now."

“...” Celestia goes back to reading.

---------This is a line breaker you ignore it or it breaks you---------

“I don’t know how you didn’t see the snow.” Soul said.

“Do you have to read my mind?” I muttered in embarrassment.

“Yes.” Soul said with a grin. “Well I’m going to be helping you start a life here but first I need to change.”

“Change?”

“Yeah.” She said. “You don’t want an Alicorn following you around. It draws too much attention.”

"Ali-what?" I questioned.

Soul then surprises me by becoming surrounded by a ball of swirling purple energy. When it disappears she is a much smaller. She also lost her horn and her fangs. Her wings were also birdlike and not bat like. Soul shuddered and then her entire body begins to change color. After a few seconds she is white instead of black, her eyes are blue instead of red, and her mane and tail are bright yellow. Her tattoo was the only thing that stayed the same.

“Cutie mark.” Soul said.

“What?” I tilted my head.

“It’s not a tattoo it’s a cutie mark.” Soul informed.

I blinked.

"Okay." I tilted my head. "What are you?"

"A Pegasus." Soul said.

Then I wondered. What was I?

“Well you’re a Unicorn. You already know your fur is black. Your mane and tail are both long and straight while being a dull grey. Your eyes are red like mine but without the glowing. But your mark is... strange.” Soul said.

“Strange?” I asked.

“It’s a broken sword.” Soul tilted her head. “It’s split perfectly in two.”

“What’s that mean?”

“I have no idea.”

---------This is a line breaker you ignore it or it breaks you---------

“Why are you stopping? The chapter isn’t over.” Twilight asked as Celestia put the bookmark in and the book back in its place. Celestia the climbed off the bed and returned to her table.

“I need to finish the paperwork.” Celestia said in a quiet voice.

“Why?” Twilight said following her mentor.

Celestia sighs.

“That broken sword that I have on my wall,” Celestia started. “Belonged to William Vealor.”

Twilight gasped.

“He died wielding that sword.” Celestia whispered.

“How?” Twilight asks.

“I-I can’t tell you.” Celestia sobs. “All I can say that he died saving Equestria.”

“...” Twilight was deep in thought.

“I’ll read you the rest of the chapter tomorrow.” Celestia whispered. “Please leave me.”

Twilight slowly left the room but not before glancing at the sword and Celestia. After the filly had left the room Celestia closed the door. She then started to weep.

“Why did you try to stop her Will?” Celestia cried. “She was a god and you were not.”

“Because he was an idiot.” A dark voice snarls from the shadows of the room.

“Soul,” Celestia whimpered. “Why did he have to be so brave?”

“Because he was always too nice.” Two glowing red eyes were filled with tears as they stared at the broken sword.

“Why did he have to die?” Celestia laid her head on her table.

“Because he… wasn’t... meant...” Death herself started to cry for the second time in her existence.