Awe and wonder, those were the emotions that dominated Autumn’s mind as she stared at the flames before her. Faust, the very goddess of creation itself, had come before her and was actually speaking to her! Autumn shook her head, trying to make the images her eyes were seeing go away, and yet no matter what she did, the flames remained.

Overcome with shock, Autumn fell to her stomach, her legs losing the ability to support her as she bowed her head in reverence, “Great Mother, why would you show yourself to one as lowly as I? I am but a simple earth pony, lost and alone in a world that cares not for pony lives.”

The voice chuckled softly, a warm and loving noise that made Autumn’s heart swell with hope and love, “You are far more than what you see in yourself, my little pony. Do not hate the world for actions that have been committed by a single race. That is why I have come down before you, and why you are more than what you believe yourself to be.”

Autumn lifted her head slowly, confusion overtaking her as she stared at the burning bush, whose branches had begun to sprout with new leaves and flower buds, “Me? What would you desire of me?”

The flames took on a much brighter tone, the force of the wind in Autumn’s mane growing stronger as the colors shifted from cooler blues and greens to crimson and sunset oranges, “I have seen the suffering of my children in Equestria, and have heard their cries under the cruel control of the gryphons. So, I have come down to deliver them out of slavery and bring the land back to the glory it once had. A land flowing with milk and honey, where ponies can be free to discover the destinies that I have laid out before them.”

Autumn felt the strength returning to her legs, her body standing slowly as tears rose unbidden in her eyes, “You really mean it? You’ve come to save us, to free us from the chains that we have been bound in for so long?”

“No, my child, I have not.” Autumn’s heart sank like a stone at the Goddess’s words, but was quickly filled with confusion as she continued, “While the faith of my little ponies is still strong, there is only so much I can do. I created the world and all that lives upon it, but it is because I forged the laws of nature that prevents me from interfering on my own. I removed myself from the physical plane so that balance may be maintained. However, that balance has been shifted, and it is my duty as the warden of this world to set it right. Therefore, I shall send a messenger in my stead, a pony of pure heart and peerless faith to deliver my children from their imprisonment.”

Confusion shifted once again to hope in Autumn’s heart, her eyes widening as she walked closer to the flames, “And who will this messenger be? Am I meant to find her?”

The flames flickered slightly from side to side, as if Faust had shaken her head, “No, there is only one who is free to act on my behalf, and that pony is standing before me now.” Autumn’s eyes widened as far as they could go, her pupils nearly expanding to take up her entire gaze as the goddess finished, “Unto the Emperor, I shall send you, Autumn Song.”

“M-M-Me?!?!” Her voice cracked as she stumbled back several paces, “Who am I to speak before the Emperor? How can I possibly lead the other ponies if they won’t even listen to me? I’m a nopony, they’ll never believe me!”

“I shall teach you what to say,” Faust’s voice had taken on a tone that reminded Autumn of her mother when talking to the younger foals when they didn’t understand something, “you need only to heed my words and you shall be triumphant.”

Panic set in as Faust’s words registered in Autumn’s mind, her heart racing in fear as her rump impacted the stone wall behind her. “B-But how can I possibly make any of the gryphons listen? They would only laugh at me and then put me in chains again! I just earned my freedom at the cost of my best friend’s life. I won’t allow her sacrifice to be in vain!” Red-hot fury filled Autumn’s veins as she screamed at the flames, tears running down her face as she fought to keep her voice from cracking, “I will not be chained again, not even if you strike me down here and now! How could I even speak to the emperor when they would never even let me into their court?!”

A wave of heat and wind washed over Autumn’s body as the fire flared brightly, Faust’s voice echoing in her skull as she was bodily tossed against the stone behind her. The wind was knocked from her lungs as she slumped against the wall, her body curling up tightly as terror flooded her heart and soul, “WHO GAVE MORALS SPEECH? WHO MADE THE DEAF, THE MUTE, THE SEEING OR THE BLIND? DID NOT I? NOW GO!”

Autumn shook from mane to tail as she held her hooves over her head, fresh tears of fear running down her face as she sobbed into the dirt. She had angered the very being who had come to save them all, and now she was going to pay for it with damnation.

A gasp escaped Autumn’s lips as her eyes shot open, her body being lifted slowly by the now silver-white flames. She was gently placed on the tips of her hooves as she faced the bush once again, her heart filled with the purest hope and love she could have ever imagined.

“Oh, my sweet child,” Faust’s voice was soft now, soothing and overflowing with calm, tender care, “I shall be with you when you go before the emperor, but the gryphons will not listen.” A column of fire rose slowly, twisting and turning before curling into a knot high above the grotto’s rim, “So I shall stretch out my hoof, and smite them, with all my wonders.”

The ball of fire erupted into the most beautiful display Autumn had ever seen, her mind, body and soul nearly overwhelmed with the sheer majesty of what she was seeing. This wasn’t any ordinary light, no, this was Faust in her true glory, given form in the purest of ways.

“Unto thee, I shall bestow a gift.” Faust’s voice shook with power, but Autumn wasn’t afraid, even as the flames spread to fill every inch of the grotto before slowly condensing into a mass of pure light before her. The fire slowly faded away, revealing a thin, golden hoof bracelet that was adorned with six colorful jewels, “Place this bracelet around thy hoof, Autumn. With it, you shall do my wonders.”

The fire faded away completely as the bracelet was slowly set upon the ground before her, Faust’s voice echoing softly into the distance as fresh tears of joy ran down Autumn’s cheeks. “I shall be with you, Autumn Song, always.”

“Autumn.”

“Autumn.”

Autumn slowly lifted a shaking hoof to her chest, feeling the warmth of Faust’s spirit slowly fade from her being, her breathing shaken but strong as she turned her gaze to the golden bracelet that lay upon the ground before her. Ever so carefully, she reached out and picked it up, cradling it against her chest before lifting it into the sunlight for a closer look.

It was perfectly sized to fit her leg; she could tell just by looking at it. The gold shined in the evening sun while the jewels embedded within seemed to glow with an internal flame, holding an immense power behind their facetted forms. The six gems were evenly spaced around the edge of the bracelet, ranging in colors from the deepest purple to the brightest sky blue and the red of fresh cherries. Autumn slid it over her right hoof, feeling the metal hug her fur as it came to rest just below her fetlock.

Taking one last look at the grotto and smiling softly at the now blooming bush before her, Autumn turned away and left through the tunnel she had come through before. All the way back to Sihle’s home, nothing within the Everfree threatened her, none of the dangerous plants prevented her progress, and it was as if the very trees shifted from her path to allow her safe passage. Her mind was still in a daze after all she had seen and heard, the weight of the gold on her leg reminding her with every step that all of it had been real.

It was a surreal experience that occupied Autumn’s mind even as she walked into Sihle’s hut, her attention only coming back to the waking world as the shaman gasped and nearly tackled the mare in her panic.

“Spirits above, my child, what in the world happened to you?!” Autumn nearly fell backwards as the zebra tilted her head back and from side to side, her hooves digging in slightly as the other mare inspected the bruises and cuts that littered her body, “You look like you got into a battle with a manticore.”

“More like a pack of Timberwolves,” Autumn stated before her mind could catch up with her mouth.

Sihle’s eyes widened even further, her movements growing more frantic as she inspected Autumn from head to tail, “How did you survive?! Even I would be hard pressed to get away from a pack of Timberwolves, and I’ve been living in this forest for over a decade!”

Autumn pushed Sihle away from her to keep from getting tipped bodily onto her back, “Alright, leave me be for a moment. I’m fine, Sihle.” She had to make the zebra back up a second time before she caught sight of the band around her leg.

Sihle’s expression shifted from worry to confusion as she carefully lifted Autumn’s leg and inspected the bracelet with wide eyes, “Where did you get this?” Her gaze snapped to Autumn’s, “You didn’t steal it from a gryphon noble, did you?!”

Autumn rolled her eyes, “As if I would ever get close enough to a noble to even attempt stealing something like this. No,” Autumn’s gaze lowered to her hoof and the godly gift that rested around her leg, “this was a gift.”

Now Sihle’s expression shifted back to confusion, “A gift? Who could possibly give something of such value as a mere gift?”

Autumn matched the skeptical zebra’s gaze with her own, “Faust came before me just as I was about to die. She told me of many things but above all else, She said that I had been chosen to spread her message, and to free my fellow ponies from the chains of slavery.”

Now it was Sihle’s turn to roll her eyes, “Really, child, must you make up such fantastic stories? You could simply tell me the truth and I would believe you.”

Indignation rose in Autumn’s chest, but just as she was opening her mouth to retort with a barbed comment, a very familiar voice seemed to echo in the back of her mind, telling her what she needed to do. Moving almost as if under the spell of another, Autumn turned to face the door, Sihle’s frightened expression catching the corner of her eye but doing nothing to stop her as she walked out into the grove that spread out from the doorway of the zebra’s home. Sihle followed her out, her steps both cautious and measured as her eyes remained locked on Autumn. The earth pony could tell that something was about to happen, but as to what, she had no idea.

Then, from the bushes, a lone Timberwolf stepped out from the shadows and made its way over to the two mares. Autumn felt Sihle try and drag her back into the hut, but her superior strength prevented the zebra from moving her. Finally, Sihle raced into the hut and slammed the door shut, the clatter of vials and other things reaching Autumn’s ears as the wooden wolf drew ever closer.

Yet, Autumn wasn’t afraid for her life as she had been before. All she could feel was peace as the massive hunter stopped before her, towering over her smaller body as its rotting breath washed over her. Sihle had just opened the door and rushed to Autumn’s side when the earth pony placed a hoof in the zebra’s way, the vial that had been gripped in Sihle’s hoof falling to the ground and exploding in a puff of green smoke.

Sihle turned towards Autumn with panic and confusion in equal measure in her gaze but stopped cold when her eyes locked with Autumn’s. She slowly lowered her hoof back to the ground as Autumn stepped forward, her hoof reaching out to gently rub under the wolf’s chin as the light pink gem glowed softly.

“Peace.” Autumn’s voice was both her own and at the same time held a weight that no mere mortal could ever hope to carry, her smile almost mother-like as the gem began to glow brighter, “You no longer have to live in suffering, not anymore.” Autumn’s smile grew as the gem flared brightly, “HEAL.”

Before their eyes, the Timberwolf slowly began to change, the rotting wood and leaves that made up its body slowly fell to the forest floor, making way for fresh plant life that grew in to replace the lost weight. Autumn kept her hoof against the wolf’s chin as the pink jewel slowly faded once more, the transformation slowing with the dimming light as the last of the dead leaves were replaced with new growth. Once it was done, Autumn’s mind seemed to come back to itself, her eyes widening in shock as she fell back on her haunches and held her hooves before her eyes.

“D-Did I just do that?” The words shook in her mouth as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.

“Ngamadlozi.” Sihle managed to say as her jaw slowly rose from its place on the ground, “You – You purified it of the dark magic that makes it what it is, yet it still stands here before us instead of falling apart.” The shaman turned to face Autumn fully as she bowed her head and bent her front legs, “Forgive me for my foolishness, Omkhulu, I did not understand that a Great Spirit was standing before me. Truly I am unworthy to be in your presence.”

Autumn’s eyes widened as she stood up, pulling her friend into a hug before the zebra could react, “Please don’t start that with me, Sihle. I don’t have any idea what I just did, and I am almost certain that it was Faust’s doing that allowed for this miracle, not me.” She pushed Sihle back just enough so they could lock gazes, “She told me that I am to be Her messenger, the one who shall make the ponies and gryphons of Equestria see what needs to be done in Her image. I am not a great spirit or whatever you just called me. I am a mortal pony who happens to have the blessing of the Divine Creator. Please,” Autumn felt tears growing in her eyes as Sihle backed up a step or two, “I don’t want you to fear me after all that you have done to help me learn since you saved my life.”

The zebra didn’t answer for a moment, but Autumn’s hope rose as a soft smile began to take form on Sihle’s muzzle, “Very well, child, I shall do my best to remember that you are still the same young mare I pulled from the river. Divine powers or not, you are my ward, and it would be foolish of me to fear a mare who can barely keep herself out of trouble.”

Autumn’s cheeks puffed up in a pout, “Well you don’t need to treat me like I’m a foal, I’m twenty-three summers old.”

Now Sihle’s smile returned full force, and with a hint of mirth, “Ah, but I am nearly twice that and therefore know much more about the world than you do. Grown in body you may be, there is still much that you need to learn.” Her gaze traveled to the band around Autumn’s leg, “Starting with how that gift of your actually works and what you need to do with it.”

Autumn lifted her leg, although her next words were interrupted by a wet piece of bark the size of her hoof rubbing up against the side of her neck. With a yelp, Autumn fell over on her side as she realized that the changed Timberwolf hadn’t left and was now standing over her with its long leaf tongue lolling out of its mouth. Before she could voice her shock, the wolf began to lick all over her face and upper body, muffling her cries and making her movements ineffectual as it covered her in sweet-smelling sap. Finally, Sihle seemed to take pity on the poor mare, after she had managed to stop rolling on the ground laughing and pulled the panting and tail-wagging beast off of Autumn.

Autumn managed to pull herself off of the ground, although she could feel her fur sticking to itself and nearly everything else as she pried herself into a standing position. Her expression was one of tried patience as Sihle rubbed the wolf’s belly, making soft cooing noises as the hulking monster lay on its back, wagging its tail with enough force to make a small windstorm as a hind leg kicked wildly in the air.

Autumn let out a long-suffering sigh as her lips curled into a smile, a glob of sap falling from her mane onto the tip of her muzzle, “You know he’s going to make a mess of your garden if you don’t stop that, right?”

Sihle paused in her motions, seeming to take note of the wolf’s proximity to her herb garden for the first time and the rather windswept status most of the taller shoots had taken on.

Sihle let out a sigh of her own as she climbed off the beast, her smile matching Autumn’s as the wolf climbed to its paws, “Ah, but you are going to be the one who takes care of him, after all, it was your doing that made him as he is. It would be a sad thing indeed to see such a miracle go to waste, don’t you think?”

Autumn rolled her eyes, “Whatever you say, although I’m not really sure what to do with him. He can’t live in the forest anymore, and he certainly won’t fit inside the hut with us.”

“We shall think of something.” Sihle replied as she petted the wolf on the side of his neck, “In the meantime, I believe he needs a name. A creature such as him should have something to distinguish himself from the others, don’t you agree?”

Autumn paused for a moment, her mind spinning with possibilities as her gaze travelled over the wolf’s body. Yet, all of it came to a halt as she spotted a single pattern in the wood that made up the top of the wolf’s muzzle and head. Almost as if it had been carved into the very grain of the bark, was a flowing image of a flame. In fact, if it hadn’t been part of the wolf before her, Autumn could have sworn that it was the same fire she had seen when Faust had come down before her.

Autumn smiled wider as she spoke, “His name shall be Ner Tamid, the Eternal Flame.

Author's Note

Well, here's another one for all of you to enjoy. Hope you are liking my story and please remember to leave a like and comment in the towel section below. Also, for those of you that are interested, Ngamadlozi roughly translates to "by the ancestors" in Zulu, while Omkhulu means "Great One" in Zulu. Given how many times zebras are taken to be of African origin in the MLP universe, I figured having a little of the native tongues in my book would be a good nod to those cultures. Also, Ner Tamid is Hebrew so if anypony is Jewish and I mixed up the wording please correct me. And to anypony who speaks Zulu or something similar if I am butchering the translations then please correct me, I want to do these references justice.

Anyways, while I'm saying thanks to all of you for reading my books, I would also like to say thanks to both of my Patrons, WuBzY and Earthpatriot117, who have been a duo of wonderful supporters for over a year now. Please give them some love and make sure to check out my Patron if you have the time or if you would like to share some of your hard-earned bits. There is a link to it on my author's page so check it out if you have the time.

Other than that, I hope you are all enjoying the story so far and look forward to seeing you all next chapter or in the comments below.

See you next time,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.