Legends of Neirule
A Horse with No Name
Previous ChapterNext ChapterApplejack surveyed the wreckage Twilight made of her room. She whistled lowly. Twilight, carefully repairing, only flicked an ear as she worked with pottery.
“Angry much?” Applejack leaned against the doorpost.
“Are we even sure that he's an ancient evil?” Twilight's fragile grip on her aura wavered. “He spoke fairly clear Equestrian.”
Applejack mulled it over in her head. “What would you have me say, Twi?”
“If Queen Leto, all those millenniums, could only seal him up, what can we do?” Twilight turned to Applejack. “He extracted those crystals without harming any of the arrays. He ripped through the Neirule's wards like nothing. He controls over three hundred skeletons and about the same amount of those shadow creatures.”
“What are you trying to say?” Applejack moved closer to Twilight.
“...”
“Twilight!?”
“He might be my equal or even better, AJ.” She leaned into Applejack.
“He might be just a very clever pony.” Applejack countered after a moment of comfort. “He might only be trying to unsettle us. Weren't there spells to learn languages lickety split?”
“Yes.”
“And about how old are those?”
Twilight blinked and then laughed. “Thank you, AJ.”
“Anytime, Twilight.”
▬
Pinkie Pie's tail twitched twice, stopped, twitched once, stopped, and repeated. Flutershy glanced at Pinkie in concern as she spoke with a darling little lizard. The lizard informed her about the strange Neirulians and their strange beliefs. Only when the lizard bid her good day and disappeared into the gardens, did Pinkie speak.
“I think we're missing something and it isn't Dashie....”
Fluttershy tucked her hooves under her as she sat closer to Pinkie. “Agreed. This place is strange, isn't it?”
Pinkie pulled a couple of soda cans out of nowhere. “The unicorns live in mostly a few places and we're not allowed to enter other sections of towns. Makes me wanted to go see these other areas.”
“Twilight would be very unhappy if we violate the agreement with Neirule.”
“Hmph. Twilight's no fun anymore.” Pinkie pouted.
“Ponies change.” Fluttershy stated firmly before sipping on her soda.
“I know. I know.” Pinkie waved a hoof. “I kinda wish Twilight hadn't become a meany boring-pants. Maybe Dashie would have been home more. I missed our pranks.”
Fluttershy sighed. “I miss her too.”
▬
“Five more minutes, mum.” Dash muttered.
Dash landed on her back to see the strange yellowish sky. She closed her eyes and groaned.
“Great, I'm still in Tartarus.”
“Why did you wake me up?” Dash groused.
“Buck no.”
The furball raised a brow. Dash grumbled as she rolled onto her hooves. Dash kept up for at least a few moments when it hit her.
“Are you coming with me?”
The furball stopped and rubbed the arch of its muzzle hard. The furball muttered to itself in the incomprehensible language before speaking in her head.
Dash's ears lowered. Yep, sarcastic fuzzbutt had a point. She even could imagine her friends or even the camp's reaction.
“Hey. Where is the original owner anyway?”
The furball blinked slowly and responded in measured tone.
Dash glowered and gritted her teeth, keeping up with the slowly backing creature. “It's been a rough week.”
Amber gold eyes closed and the pony-goblin-thing hunched its shoulder.
The eyes opened.
Dash shuddered. “Must you describe it like that?”
A shrug was all she received. Dash wondered if other beings was part of what made Tartartus hell.
▬
Celestia looked concerned as Twilight relay the facts. Luna was snoozing in the background with an ink mark on her muzzle. Sunburst was on his back on a table, a back leg pawing the air in his sleep. Twilight could swear she saw Spike's tail off the edge but Celestia moved.
“By time I and Luna were old enough to leave our village. Dragmire was simply an unpleasant fire-side tale. So was Kamil.” Celestia pulled off her tiara. “Actually Kamil was a boogey-pony up until Nightmare Moon.”
“Huh?”
“If you don't eat your hay, Kamil will come and crack your bones for his bread.” Celestia recited a quote she had heard often long ago. “Things like that. Or, what was the other one.....Don't break promises otherwise if Kamil finds you, you may lose face. That was one of the stranger sayings. I'll ask Starswirl and the others. They would have heard less twisted accounts of the tales growing up.”
“Thank you.” Twilight frowned after a moment. “So nothing on Geroan.”
“Except the claim of being the birthplace of evil? And even according to Discord, a dangerous place.” Celestia shook her head. “Nothing. I was there once but I had found the desert a rather quiet desolate place where one went to lose oneself. Not evil but just sad. It is strange that not even the neighboring cultures' recorded folklore have anything but to avoid it.”
Twilight nodded. “When Sunburst can, could he analyses what mana data I've sent. I might be missing something and everyone else but Rarity thinks I am but I'm not able to see it.”
“Of course, Twilight. Do be careful. I believe that Solaris is acting rashly in wanting to breach that barrier. However neither of us can tell him what to do.”
Twilight's smile was tight. “I'll try to talk some sense into him. I hope you have better luck than I am. Night.”
Applejack picked her head off the bed. “Ah take it, we ain't gaining any ground.”
“Somewhat. If Dragmire is some sort of umbrum, the question is what exactly is Kamil?” Twilight moved back into bed. She opened her right wing.
“Hm.” Applejack shuffled closer. “Hey, Twilight. Just thought of something. Why is Dragmire restoring that town?”
Applejack closed her eyes, only to find herself being half-slung off the bed. Twilight was shouting. The alicorn was partially tangled in the sheet as she had lunged for a quill and paper.
“That's it!”
“Wha?” Applejack slurred.
“Where that partial map the archeology team submitted? And what we got from the Viewers?” Twilight rushed about. “By the Sun and Moon, I wish Spike was here.”
Applejack pulled herself back into bed and groaned. “Can't it wait until 'morrow, Twi?”
“Not really. I mean I supposed but it is just I need to check.” Applejack stared as Twilight just kept speaking rapidly. “Here they are. Yes. It's does look like an seal array. Why didn't anypony noticed before. Unfortunately we need the full array...”
“Twilight, put down the quill and get your plot back in bed.” Applejack snapped. “It's been stressful and what not. But we do need rest!”
“But.”
“Twilight.”
“But.”
“No.”
“Ah-.”
Applejack gave her a 'Granny' glare and patted the bed. Twilight wilted.
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