The Blade Chronicles: Book Two

Chapter five:

Departure

Metric Zoom galloped quickly down the halls as she heard her foster father scream. Her sensors narrowed as she came upon the closed door birch door and slammed her front hooves down hard onto it. The birch cracked loudly as it splintered, the bamboo chute that rested inside the mares shell shivered and trembled in fear as she slammed down once more. The birch door slammed open with a loud groan as splinters flew up and into the air. Metric Zoom hurried into the bedroom as she quickly snapped her head around, only to focus in the center of the room. Her sensors beheld Dark Heart and Divine Kiss, the Alicorn mares eyes were wide as she held both of her front hooves over her mouth, suppressing a scream of fear as the stallion had been set ablaze.

Metric Zooms sensors widened as she watched her foster father as screams of pain escaped his mouth. The blossom forged mares chute trembled even more inside of her chassis as tears welled up inside of her sensors. The stallion that she called father, was dying.

“Father!” cried the blossom forged mare as she hurried over to his side. She yanked the covers off of the bed and tossed them quickly onto his body. “Please… please don’t die on us!” She pleaded as she carefully brought her hooves down onto Dark Hearts burning body.

A moment passed, and the flames were snuffed out by the covers. But it was too late as Dark Heart took his last breath. His voice shuddered as his body went rigid and stuff underneath the covers, Dark Heart had taken his last breath. A slim bolt of darkness had jumped from the stallions body and into Metric Zooms own, slipping in through her chassis. The tears began to flow down Metric Zooms cheeks and along her lower jaw, her sensors closed for a brief moment as she took the covers off of Dark Hearts body and tossed them to the floor. Her father's body was charred from the flames. The blossom forged looked up to Divine Kiss and noticed that she had begun to cry, as well. Metric Zoom took a calm and somewhat collected step towards the mare that she wanted desperately to call mother, but she felt anger flare up inside of her. She was mad that the cruel world that was once Everglow had taken her foster father.

“What did you do?!” Metric Zoom asked as her voice trembled and shook, the sorrow that she had been feeling mixed with anger.

“I-i didn’t do anything! Metric Zoom, please… We were just having some intimacy, and once we finished up, he just… combust into flames.” Divine Kiss said in response, she took a deep breath as she attempted to calm herself down. The alicorn mare had just watched her lover combust and die, right in front of her very eyes. Her voice was trembling and shaking, much like Metric Zooms own voice was. “I didn’t know that this was going to happen, you have to believe me!”

“I don’t know if I can believe you right now or not, I am sorry. But I think that it would be the best for both of us, if I went out and on my own for a while.” Metric said, she too had been attempting to take back control of her emotions. She had managed to push the anger that she had felt flare up away.

“What?” Divine Kiss asked in a shocked tone. “No, Metric, please… Please, We already lost Dark Heart, and I don’t want to lose you, either!” The alicorn mare stepped up to Metric Zoom and softly pulled her into a hug.

“I know, Divine, but… I feel that it is for the best, that way I won’t lose my temper and do something that I will regret.” Metric Zoom said with a sigh as she buried her face up against Divine Kiss’s chest. “I can’t believe that this happened… right when we had just become a family, right when we had figured everything out.”

“Metric…” Divine Kiss said as she closed her eyes, her wings gently curved around both of their bodies protectively. “We still are a family, and we still have everything figured out. It will just take time for us to grieve.”

“I’m so sorry…” Those three words was all that it took for Metric Zoom, the pain she had just gone through, along with the alicorn mares own pain, was all that it took for her to start sobbing loudly.

Divine Kiss bit down on her lower lip as she had began to sob, as well. The two mares cried long into the night as they mourned Dark Heart. The next few days that came after, had passed roughly for them. Divine Kiss and Metric Zoom had asked the civilians of Dunport for aid with preparing a grave for Dark Heart, and then asked them to assist in the services for the deceased leatherwing stallion. The townsfolk had held a service for the stallion, and as they were lowering his body into the grave, they all had to hold back the sorrow that was welling up inside of them. They had all been there when Dark Heart had cleaned out Dunport of the two crime families that originally had resided in the town, with the help of two outsiders. They had remembered how he had trained the guards in the city to better deal with raiders and the beasts of the ashen wastes. And now, he was gone…

The services ended after an hour, and all of the ponies had gone either home or to start working their jobs. Leaving Divine Kiss and Metric Zoom alone in the manor. They were both left with their thoughts and left with each other. A week had passed by before they knew it, their lives had begun to return back to normal. Despite the return to semi-normalcy, Divine Kiss and Metric Zoom still knew that it was just them now. The two had began to get closer, a bond like that of a mother and daughter began to form between the two of them as they spent time together.

“Hey, Divine?” Metric Zoom said as she looked to the mare, her sensors looked to her calmly.

“Yes, Metric? What seems to be the matter?” Divine Kiss asked the blossom forged mare, her wings rested against her back a bit as the two read through Dark Hearts books inside of his library. Her right front hoof lightly trailed over the front of a leatherbound journal. Her eyes scanned it softly for a moment, before she looked back to the blossom forged mare.

“Do you want to join me when I go to look for my siblings?” She asked as she looked over the cover of an old encyclopedia. “I don’t think that I can do it on my own, plus it might be a long journey. Who knows how long we will be gone from this place.”

“I don’t see the harm in joining you, besides, you might end up needing my help.” Divine Kiss said with a soft smile, her left wing stretched out and came to rest gently on Metric Zooms back. “And hey, it’s better to have the help and not need it. Then it is to need the help and not have it.”

“Yeah, you're definitely right on that.” Metric said with a nod, she blinked a bit and looked to the alicorn mares stomach. “So, what did the doctor have to say yesterday when you went out?” She asked with a curious tone to her voice.

“The doctor gave me some great news! I just wish that your father were able to hear it…” Divine Kiss let out a soft sigh as she rested one of her front hooves gently on her stomach. “I’m pregnant with your fathers child.”

Metric Zoom blinked as her sensors went wide as a soft smile formed on her face, she gently embraced the alicorn mare in a soft hug.

“Well, I’m sure that father would have been happy.” She said with a soft tone in her voice. Metric Zooms thoughts went to her father on the day that they had entered Cogs bunker and were lead around back to the entrance, the day that Cog had messed with them and egged them on. Only to be screwed with by the infernal artificial intelligence.

“Yes, He would have been happy.” Divine Kiss said as she gently removed Metric Zooms forelegs from around her body. The alicorn mare softly stood up and lifted up the journal with her magic. She trotted over to one of the bare spots on the bookshelf and slipped it inside. Divine Kiss turned her head to Metric Zoom, she blinked a bit before approaching the couch to sit back down.

The blossom forged mare blinked for a moment as her sensors flicked around and her ears twitched. She had returned to reading her foster fathers journal and didn’t notice the other mare had returned and sat back down. Metric Zoom moved the journal from her face and set it carefully on the side table next to where they were sitting, something inside of her was starting to well up… Something that was causing her to crave adventure and excitement. She turned to her foster mother, sensors widened upon the sensation as she gulped loudly.

“Mother, I am feeling something that I have never felt before.” The blossom forged mare said in a surprised tone. “I feel restless, like I want to go out and explore the world! Maybe I’ll try to find my sisters, even!” She said with excitement in her voice as she changed her tone.

“Do you want to go and try to find your sisters?” Divine Kiss asked as a soft grin came across her face. “Because, if so, I’d be more than happy to go with you and to help you.” The false queen said with a soft giggle. Her tail flicked softly as she stretched out a bit.

“Really? You’d really go with me?!” Metric Zoom slid off of the couch, excitement clear with every motion. Her metal hooves clopped against the wood floor as she looked to the false queen mare in anticipation.

“Of course I’d go with you! Besides, it’d be nice to go out and explore. It’s what your father would have wanted…” Divine Kiss said in response as she stood up once more, her voice had become sullen as her expression softened. Both of them were still healing from losing someone that they had both loved and cared about, and it left deep wounds in their hearts that would heal in time.

They both looked at one another, they had become quiet as Metric Zoom had stopped clopping in place. They both softly pressed up against one another in a solemn and protective embrace for a brief moment, the two of them had backed away from one another and nodded. Metric Zoom and Divine Kiss had hurried to their rooms and pulled their sheathed weapons on over their armor as they got ready. Not more than fifteen minutes later, the two mares had left the manor and had begun to make their way out of Dunport. The two of them had begun a brand new journey together as they stopped at the sign, took a look at it for one last time, and trotted off towards a nearby settlement. As they trotted onwards, the ashen sky had begun to darken and the temperature had dropped.

It had taken the two mares two days to reach the closest settlement. Metric Zoom and Divine Kiss trotted into the settlement and looked around. The houses and buildings looked very old and in disrepair as a strange yellow colored fungus was able to be seen growing on the side of a few of them. The blossom forged mare looked to her foster mother, who exchanged a look with her in return. The two of them trotted through the settlement for a bit before they arrived at the front door of a bar. The two looked up to see an oak sign attached to a metal rod that stuck out from the roof of the building. The name of the bar was The Parched Zebra. Metric Zoom and Divine Kiss blinked as they made their way inside.

The interior of the bar was loud as they entered, smoke filled the bar as several stallions were smoking. The two mares covered their mouths as they coughed from the smoke. They made their way to the bar and sat down on stools where there was less smoke. The bartender was a surly and stout stallion, a unicorn as well. As he approached, he gave them a nod and picked up a glass, spitting in it as he cleaned it with a clean rag.

“What can I get for you, ladies?” The unicorn asked with a relaxed expression on his face. His left eye was scarred over by what appeared to be a knife wound. He blinked his good eye as he got a good look at the two mares.

“I’ll take some coffee… black, please.” Divine Kiss said as she ran a hoof through her mane. Her eyes had bags under them as she was tired.

“I’ll take some water, if you would.” Metric Zoom said in response. She had noticed that her foster mother had been getting very little sleep the past two days. Her sensors scanned Divine Kiss’s body, only to be unable to find anything out of the ordinary.

“One coffee and one water, coming right up!” The stallion gave a nod as he turned and trotted to the opposite end of the bar to work on their orders. His back was to them and he wasn’t paying attention to the two mares at the moment.

As the two mares waited at the counter, a cyan blue pony sat with his back against the wall. A street sign was slung over his back by a leather holder that looked bent and dented in several spots. He had scars all over his pelt and body, the stallions mane was a short mohawk. He had a piece of studded leather wrapped around his upper half that covered his left shoulder. The stallions long tail flicked as his blue eyes glanced at the two mares. He recognized the blossom forged and took out a series of notecards that he had hidden away underneath his armor along with a pencil, he began to write something on each notecard as he listened in on their discussion.

“So, where should we begin to look for my sisters?” Metric Zoom asked Divine Kiss, her sensors flicked around a bit as she tried to take a breath only to stop due to the smoke that was in the air.

“Well.” Divine Kiss said in return, her right fore hoof rubbed her chin a bit as her wings relaxed against her backside. “Perhaps the bartender would know something to help us out? After all, I’m sure that he hears about everything that goes on in the wasteland.” She gave a soft shrug of her shoulders as she looked to the counter. Her tail flicked softly as she went into thought.

“Something on your minds?” The bartender asked with a blink, he carried their drinks to them and set them down on the counter, he looked to the two mares with a tilt of his head. The unicorns ears perked up as he watched them calmly.

“Oh, yes there is something on our minds!” The blossom forged mare said in response, her sensors shifted to the unicorns face as she blinked. Her voice was relaxed as she took her water and spoke. “We’re wondering if you’ve encountered anyone like me, or if you’ve heard anything about one of my kind around here?” She took a drink of her water and let out a soft sigh as the cool and refreshing fluid hit her bamboo chute, only to end up absorbed by it.

“No, I am afraid that I have not.” The bartender said as he gave a shrug. “Can’t say that I’ve heard of or seen your kind before. I’m sorry that I’m of no use to you.” His voice was relaxed as he took a look around the bar before continuing. “However, I think someone here would be able to assist you… I wish that I could help you, I really do.”

“That’s fine, we’ll ask around.” Divine Kiss said as she took a quick glance around the bar and handed the unicorn bartender a couple gold pieces from her bag that their equipment was being held in. “Well, thank you for the drinks.” She said as she took a sip of her coffee.

The bartender took the gold pieces and trotted back to the opposite end of the counter. The two mares looked to one another and sighed softly as they drank. The stallion that had been watching them had heard what they were talking about, and he knew that it was time for him to reveal himself. But he wasn’t going to do so with Metric Zoom in the bar. He watched them for a bit longer, his eyes focused on the blossom forged mare as he examined her chassis. He saw that she had pegasus wings that he thought would never fly. As the two mares finished their drinks, Metric Zoom heard a sound that was like a soft knocking sound that originated from inside of her chassis. She jolted upright on the bar stool as she looked to the false queen that she had come to know as her mother.

“I’ll be right back, I am heading outside for some fresh air.” The blossom forged mare said as she climbed down and off of the bar stool. She turned around and trotted out of the bar, going down the street a bit as she breathed deeply. Her bamboo chute took the air in easily as the trunk absorbed it.

Metric Zoom blinked as she opened up a small compartment in her chassis, and out of it jolted a being of pure darkness. She knew what this being was the moment it formed on the ground in front of her feet, she knew from the moment that she saw its doofy smile. Metric Zoom let out a loud squeal of joy as her hooves clopped against the street.

“Oh my gods! Are you my very own Darkling?!” The blossom forged mare asked, glee was able to be heard in her voice as her sensors eagerly scanned the small creature. She took notice of the darklings sapphire blue eyes as her expression turned into that of an excited smile.

“Yes! Yes I am!” The darkling replied with a big toothy grin. “I am indeed your darkling, robohorse! You may call me Joel, and I’m guessing that you’re Metric Zoom? Dark Heart talked about you a lot.”

“Yep! I’m most definitely Metric Zoom!” The blossom forged mare said with a proud and excited tone in her voice. She looked to Joel with a playful grin. “Joel? Hmmm… You look more like a Garbagefield to me! How about I call you that?” she asked with a laugh that came off as more playful than serious.

“Do I look like a useless cat that went to the North Pole, to find Santa?” Joel scoffed as he formed a chair out of pure darkness underneath him, and sat down. “No, Joel is just fine. And I think that we’ll get along great, Metric Zoom.”

Metric Zoom gave a nod as she stood there on the sidewalk, talking to Joel. meanwhile, inside the bar, the stallion that had been watching the two mares got up from his seat and approached Divine Kiss. He took the seat next to her, where Metric Zoom had been sitting just before. The stallion took some napkins out of a holder that rested nearby. He lightly drew a pen from the opposite side of the counter and began to write on the napkins, he already knew the questions that he was going to ask. After a few moments, The stallion softly tapped the false queen mare on her right foreshoulder.

Divine Kiss turned her head to the stallion as she blinked softly. She tilted her head as she took in his features, her wings folded against her back. Her eyes locked onto the napkins that he had been writing on. “Who might you be? And is there something that you need?”

The stallion took out the first of the few napkins and held it up, he didn’t speak as he showed it to her. “My name is… well… I don’t remember my name, call me whatever you want. I think that you are looking for something, which I can help you.”

Divine Kiss blinked as she took another drink from her coffee and set the cup back down. The mare looked at him with a curious expression. “Oh? And what might you know? Have you been listening in on my foster daughter and I’s conversation?” She asked with a protective tone in her voice. She was unsure about the stallion who was sitting next to her, but she and Metric Zoom had been searching for her siblings for the past couple of days and haven’t found neither hide nor hair of them.

“Yes, I was listening in on your conversation. And I apologise for eavesdropping.” He dropped the first napkin and brought up another one, along with a third in his opposite hoof. He discarded the second napkin and had written down on the third. “You are both looking for two of Metric Zooms siblings, correct? I know where one of them is located, and I can tell you how to easily navigate the wastes to get there.” the third note said.

Divine Kiss blinked as she rested a hoof underneath her chin. She was unsure of the stallion, but something inside of her was telling her that it was okay. She straightened up and turned to look to him directly in the eyes. “Alright, I’ll trust you… Yes, we’re both look looking for her siblings. Please tell us where the one you know of is at, and I’ll pay you with what little gold we have left.”

The stallion shook his head as he discarded the napkin and brought out the last to final one. “No, you don’t owe me a thing… I have written down the location of one of the siblings that your foster daughter is looking for, on this last napkin. After I give it to you, I would suggest hurrying to the location as quickly as you possibly can.”

Divine Kiss gave a nod as she took the last of the napkins and looked it over. Taking the cup of coffee in her hoof once more as she downed the rest of it. She felt the burning sensation as the rest of her drink burned her throat, refreshing her as she got up and bowed her head, she spoke with an appreciative tone in her voice. “Thank you, Stranger! We are forever in your debt.”

Divine Kiss turned and tucked the napkin into a pocket of her clothes as she hurried out of the bar. The stallion sat there and watched her leave, getting up as he returned to his seat and left the pen there.

Outside, Divine Kiss and Metric Zoom talked to one another, alongside Joel. after having explained the news, the two of them turned and galloped out of the settlement in the direction on the napkin.

In a cavern near where Port Mareheart once stood, Seeking Blade held his lantern up as he examined the circular walls. His eyes were fixated on the hieroglyphs and ancient writings as he translated them in his head. He had told Sun Spot to take post outside as watch. As he examined the walls, he heard the ash that covered the floor as it was disturbed. Seeking Blade turned around only to see darkness. There was another sudden disturbance, only this time it came from behind him. As the stallion was about to turn around, he felt a sudden impact on the back of his head. Seeking Blade dropped his lantern to the ground as everything went black. The lantern broke with a crash as the stallion was lifted up and onto someone’s back as a glowing blue portal opened. The strange pony trotted through the portal with Seeking Blade on her back, the portal closed behind her.

Two days later, Metric Zoom and Divine Kiss stared at Cog’s bunker from afar, they both had sorrow in their hearts. They had lost a father, a teacher and a good stallion… the two mares turned around, their bodies covered by robes that protected them from the cold and the brutal ashen storms. The two stared at the horizon in front of them to beyond.

“Come on, my dear Metric Zoom.” Divine Kiss said with a calm and kind tone in her voice. “Let’s go find your two siblings, and figure out what to do next.”

Metric Zoom gave her foster mother a nod, and with a galloping start the two of them had taken off straight ahead. The blossom forged mares body glowed a black light, and suddenly she found herself lifting off the ground like she had a day before. She had gained a Darkling of her own from her foster father, the blossom forged knew better than to waste or squander her newfound powers. A power that she was going to learn how to better utilize.

As the two mares flew off towards the horizon and left Cog’s bunker be for now, the two had a new adventure ahead of them…

“Click”