The Long Roadby Befallen TragedyChaptersIn The BeginningEgoThe Spirits Smile Upon UsVault At Hell's GateWhere Do You Belong?Hooves Fail Me NotHome Is Where The Fight IsIn The BeginningIn the beginning, there was said to be nothing. Then, in an instant, everything came into being. Whether it was due to some sort of intelligent design or just a cosmic coincidence is up for debate. Either way, the same thing happened: all worlds and all possibilities flung into the cosmic stew of the universe. One such world and possibility was ours. The world of Terra, where magical equines and all other forms of beasts rule. I always thought that the answers to how our world worked and where it came from would one day be revealed in a glorious explosion of knowledge that would enlighten and unite all creatures, dissolving countries, race, and all other barriers. I was wrong. The world cannot go from this existence to a united one through peace, it must and will be baptized by fire. It's a sad, painful, truth. I am part of a secret society known as the Unification Syndicate. Though, I was not always part of it...perhaps I should start at the beginning of my path to enlightenment. -- 2 years ago I was happy, I had just got the first half of my pay from my employer, the mysterious 'Master' as his underlings called him. It was more bits than I usually saw in a year: a whopping 25,000 just for signing the contract and another 25,000 upon completion of the task. I was rolling in money, and it felt great. I wasn't about to spend it all in one go, though. I allocated a small amount of it to buying supplies for the trip: I was hired for my healing talent, so herbs and assorted healing scrolls were bought. I also got some books to read during my spare time: I was told to pack light, so I did. I'm not an ugly mare, my light green coat, sky blue eyes and gentle pink mane all earned me stares from colts and some mares that I passed by on the busy city streets. Perhaps me sashaying my flank as I walked helped draw those stairs. In a city with a lot of ugly sights, It was nice to be considered pretty. I was on my way to a ship docked at Baltimare Harbor, luckily that was the city in which I was born, so I didn't have to pay to travel to anywhere else in Equestria. Most Equestrian cities were far apart, especially the major ports. Plus, I hate travelling by train, I was born at sea and that's where I'm most comfortable. I knew the ship I was set to travel on, The Endeavor, It was an old exploration ship that had served in the Equestrian Navy for over 150 years. It was decommissioned a few years ago and a private collector bought it and repaired it intensively according to reports. I was to meet one of the 'Master's' underlings at the docks, I wasn't told his name or his appearance, just that I would know him when i saw him. My mom always used to say 'Herbal, don't talk to strangers, you'll end up getting yourself hurt.' If that was true, I'd be dead by now. Strangers were always the most interesting people. Talking to strangers always allowed for the discovery of new stories and new legends: I loved stories, but it wasn't my special talent. Healing was. I worked as a freelance medic around the city, patching up drifters and poor families in the slums, it didn't pay well, but it was good for the soul. Humbling, even. I rounded around one of the dock buildings and spotted The Endeavor. It was not a big ship, it wasn't supposed to be. In order to be an exploration ship it had to be fast and lightweight, not weighed down like war ships. The sails billowed in the wind as if nature ached for the ancient ship to sail upon the open seas once again. Standing at the end of the gangplank was a pony wearing a pitch black cloak that covered his whole body except for a narrow slot for his eyes. As I got closer, I saw dark, soulless brown eyes peering from the slot. They followed my approach, as if analyzing every movement, every contour of my being, looking for any and all weakness. They were the eyes of a predator. "Um...Are you the pony i'm supposed to meet...?" I approached cautiously. I knew the look he was giving me, he was a seasoned veteran: Of what wars or atrocities, I'm not sure I wanted to. "I am if you are Herbal Remedy." His voice was deep, the accent was foreign, sounded Zebraharan. Even though his mouth was covered by the thick cloth of his cloak, his voice sounded as clear as crystal. "Yeah....that's me.." It felt awkward, he stood unwavering. Resolute. "So, what's your name...?" "Lone.." He pronounced his name like 'Loan-ee' That basically solidified that he was not from Equestria. "Get on the boat, It is time." Without a hello or how do you do, Lone turned around and trotted up the gangplank. As he moved,I observed that he had a severe limp on his left side. Perhaps from some long ago battle, or just a defect. Without a word, if it was out of fear, or reverence for this clearly seasoned veteran, I obeyed without a word. I walked up the gangplank, checking my saddlebag straps with my magic to make sure they were tight enough. As I walked onto the deck, I noticed a severe lack of crew. No sailors were checking the lines or scrubbing the decks. Nothing. Just Lone limping up the stairs. "Where's the crew..?" I murmured to myself, barely audible to my own perception. "You need not worry about that." His sudden response made me jump, I had no clue how he could have heard what I considered thoughts. "O-Okay..." I trotted over to the center of the gently rocking ship. The gently swaying floor felt right under my hooves, almost as if I belonged here instead of healing ponies in the slums. "I love ships..." "Then why are you a healer?" Lone's voice came from the helm, the cloaked equine was standing on his back hooves, leaning on the heavy oak wheel. "Why not take to the seas?" "Healing is my special talent, Mr. Lone." His name felt weird as it slipped out of my mouth, as if it was unnatural, much like the pony itself. "See?" I leaned over some to reveal my light green flank, which had a syringe and an aloe leaf. "You ponies, so stuck in your ways. You are so dependent on a mark to tell you what to do with your life that you cannot do what you truly love." His voice was accusatory, filled with malice and hate. "You name your children after what you hope they become, they take it to heart and try to live up to those expectations." his piercing brown eyes glared daggers at me. "You put too much stock in words and names. Nee Segola. Stupid creatures." Frankly, I felt offended. He just didn't offend me. He offended my talent and my species. I stood and glared at him with my own soft, sky blue eyes the best I could. Simply put, I wasn't intimidating. "Yeah? Well you zebras have cutie marks too. I've seen it before, and at least our names mean something lone." I said his name in such a voice that apparently implied that it was a joke. The veteran did not like that. In a single move: he vaulted over the Captain's Wheel and the railing, right as he hit the thick wooden floors he rolled to avoid injuries. Out of the roll, he stood tall over me, menacing. "You do not make fun of my name, whelp. You do not insult my culture, and you do not talk to me....AGAIN!" His thickly accented voice roared at me, I flattened my ears and crouched down in fear. I knew I could easily fling him away with magic, but I had a feeling that would not be a smart idea. "Now" His voice quieted, I could hear his nostrils flaring from behind the cloth. "Go downstairs. Do not come up here again if you wish to make it to our destination." I obeyed, this time purely out of fear. EgoThe clack of talons against marble echoed throughout stone cavern that had been carved out centuries ago as a palace for the first griffon king. It was a symbol to the Griffon's grit and ingenuity that they could carve out the very mountains and scar the earth. It was a testament to the raw power of the species. However, Griffons have always lived in the mountains. In the early days they simply made their nests and roosted in the craggy mountains that made up their land, but after the War of Blazing Mountains, the Griffons formed a proper form a government. A representative one at that. Each of the five territories in the kingdom had one representative in the capital. This specific territory, Hawke, was the first territory that ratified the country's constitution and the first one who used militant force to annex area outside of the griffon kingdom. In the year 600 a large griffon force invaded the Zebraharan Desert to annex and bring culture to the native tribes located there. The griffons stayed in the desert for a little over 500 years, the Zebras finally got tired of their despotic rule and banded together to drive the outsiders back to their own kingdom. Needless to say, the whole affair left some very bad blood between the two countries, and left Equestria to moderate between them. Something both parties despised. The griffons, always proud of their militant ways, often sent their children out on a pilgrimage to other countries to absorb cultures and observe the customs and weaknesses of said culture. One of the children, who had recently just returned to the fatherland, was lounging about in the ancient palace on a soft couch in her room. Her claws were idly tapping on the marble floor beneath her. "Madame Gilda..?" The griffon's purple shaded eyes looked up at the intruding voice. It was her personal slave, Nikal. All around the Griffon Kingdom Zebras served as a source of slave labor, usually in palaces and wealthy households.The slaves were shipped from the Zebrahara, taken up as orphans, or simply stolen in the night. When they arrived in the fatherland, they were taken to a processing center where their tribal markings were removed and the were taught Egalian. The language of the griffons. Only after that, were they allowed to serve their griffon masters. "I thought I told you that I was not to be disturbed." Gilda clacked her beak and tapped her claws a little more intensely than before. "Need I rake my claws against your back to teach you a lesson?" The griffon princess sneered at the Zebra. Gilda had spent her whole life with the ability to push around and threaten her slaves, something that clearly showed in her attitude towards any creature that resembled Zebras...that meant Ponies as well. "N-No Madame." The slave's voice still had a little hint of her native accent in it when she was afraid. Regression meant fear, fear meant Gilda was happy. "M-master Gildogar wishes to see you in the throne room immediately." The zebra moved towards the door slowly under the gaze of the predator watching her. "I-I am sorry for disturbing you.." The slave backed out of the room with such speed that it would make Dash envious. "Go figure, I'm home for less than a day and Dad already has some stupid task for me..." The Princess grumbled under her breath as she got off of her couch and sauntered over to a glass case on the other side the room. Inside the case was something of great importance: her armor. It was customary to wear it when entering the throne room and meeting with the king. Even if she was the King's daughter. The armor itself was astonishing. The base material was tempered steel forged in the Falconian Volcanic System that ran deep under the country. The breast plate was scarred from numerous past battles, but still retained its polished sheen. Her battle claws were sharpened to the deadliest point one could imagine, but the pride of the set was the helmet. The helm was coated with pure platinum to give it a brilliant shine, light violet accented the metal around the eyes in order to enhance her natural color, and the feathers of fallen enemies formed a mohawk along the spine of it. It was of her own creation, and it was her pride and joy. So she went to work putting on the armor. Practiced claws worked worn latches and hinges with ease, taking the armor out of the case and applying it to the young griffon's toned body. Her thoughts were not needed on that work, it was easy. So she let her thoughts drift back to what she was thinking about before Nikal interrupted her. They were of a certain blue mare from flight camp in Cloudsdale. She knew that Dash would never accept her feelings though, the pegasus had said so. That didn't stop Gilda's scheming mind though, she was thinking of how to get Dash. Right now, she was planning on just sending out one of her father's slaver units to pick up the mare for indoctrination and delivery. Gilda shook her head clear of thoughts, then gently lowered the helm over he head. The cool steel felt right on her head. She shook out her wings and stretched to make sure that the armor was on right. Indeed it was, not a surprise though. She grinned at her warlike reflection in the glass, in her opinion she looked more beautiful than any creature she had ever seen. Perhaps that was just her opinion though and not fact. With a wink to her reflection, she turned tail and strutted out of her room and towards the throne room. While each room looked like one that you would see in any other palace, the halls were definitely that of a cave. The rough stone floor, the craggy walls and dripping floors attested to that. It was home to Gilda. After a few minutes of traversing the ancient cave, she came to the throne room. It wasn't a room per-say, simply the entrance to the cave with a gilded throne that rose high towards the ceiling. The Princess bowed in front of her father's seat. "Rise." Her father's voice boomed from atop it. Gilda stood proudly in her armor, her wings flared wide. "Do you know why I have called you here, daughter?" Unlike most interactions, Gilda actually respected her battle hardened father. While she had never had a truly face to face conversation with him, she still loved him like any child would lover their parent. "No father, I do not." Her voice was reserved, her usual rage subsided in the presence of the towering figure above her. "We have received a report from one of our spies in Equestria. An enemy of the kingdom is on their way here as we speak." Before Gilda could respond, her father came down from his loft. A very seldom occurrence. He had a gilded patch over his right eyes, his feathers on his head were already graying around the edges, but his most magnificent feature were his wings. They were gold at the fringes, and shifted to black the closer they got to his body. She had only seen him this close twice before, and she was in awe. "F-Father,,?" She instinctively bowed in his regal presence. "Gilda, rise." He placed a claw on her shoulder. "This enemy is one of my old foes...no, my oldest foe. If he is here, then only bad things can come." Gilda didn't say a word, she was too shocked to do so. "I am too old to confront him, but you....I believe you can do it, Gilda. You have proven yourself in the field of battle, and you are my daughter." He gave a small smile, the scar across his beak making it hard to do so. "His name is Lone, A Zebra tribal. He's been killing our patrols in the Zebraharan for over 40 years...he's how I lost my eye" The smile faded. "He's arriving in Peregrine in a couple of days." "Do you wish for me to capture him, father?" She would succeed, not for her ego, not for the honor of her country. But for her father, she wanted his acceptance more than anything. "No. Kill Him." The Spirits Smile Upon UsI had been beneath deck for several hours, needless to say it was boring as all hell. I needed out, but I was too afraid to do do so. Lone had warned me, but I needed some fresh air. So I carefully went up the stairs and opened the door. When I looked out, I saw the endless night sky bathing us in starlight, I saw the same empty ship, the same wind billowed sails pushing us across the open sea. In other words, Lone had been right. He could do it all by himself. Speaking of the terrifying Zebra, I saw him nowhere on the ship's deck. I could only assume he had went downstairs when I was reading, I didn't doubt that he could accomplish such a feat. So I stepped out onto the deck and took a deep breath, the sea air was invigorating and good for the soul. I turned to look up at the captain's wheel, and what I saw astonished me. Sitting right in front of the moon, was Lone. His silhouette revealed that he was uncloaked, but the astonishing thing was not that he wasn't wearing his cloak, but that wings flared out from his body, casting a god-like shadow upon the ship's deck. I may not be the best in terms of biology, but even I knew that Zebras didn't have wings. "You came up here again..." The zebra's voice came down, it was calm and unending, just like the sea that our ship cut easily through. That didn't help calm me though, it made me tremble just a little. "I admire that." Now that surprised me. "Come up here..." His voice was hypnotic, commanding, it compelled me to go to him. Up the stairs and over to him I went. As I drew closer, I saw him for the first time. He was definitely a pegasus, but his coat was that of a Zebra: Black with white stripes. Even stranger, the feathers on his wings alternated between black and white. He was a hybrid. I had heard about Zebra Pony hybrids, the often didn't survive past infancy, hence why they were so rare to see. Apparently Lone had survived and even thrived. "I feel as though I must apologize.." His face was still hidden by shadows. "I did not mean to snap at you earlier, Pony. I simply do not like when your kind insults mine..." I could see his brow furrow even in the shadows, I could also make out golden earrings twinkling in the moonlight. "Umm...Lone?" His name still felt strange. "Aren't you...kind of a pony too..?" "In body, yes." He raised his head so he could look to the scars, the moonlight illuminated his dark muzzle, it was so scarred that barely any fur grew on it. "But not in spirit. It matters not what you are in body, but what you are in soul. It is one of the things you ponies do not understand..." He lowered his head into the shadows once more. "But...who you are on the outside does sort of affect who you are....right?" I stepped closer, trying to get a good look at his face but failing. "No...It does not." The way he said it made it clear that the topic was not up for discussion anymore. After a few awkward moments, I finally spoke. "How are you controlling the ship...?" "I am not doing anything. It is the spirits. They look upon this vessel with favor." I could see his silhouetted muzzle form a small smile when he mentioned the spirits. "They know our cause is righteous, and that my heart is pure. They wish to offer your heart purity as well, it would be wise to do so. The spirits are kind to the pure." I wasn't spiritual, really, I wasn't. All of this talk was ridiculous in my mind. "Who controls the wind? It is Luna? I think that's what we're taught....she likes the sea." I tapped my hoof against my chin, trying to remember the lessons I was taught. Lone only frowned. "No. Your false gods do nothing of the sort. The spirits frown upon your nation and your reverence of the false deities. Why do you think that the pegasi must move the clouds and the earth ponies must grow all of the crops? Because the spirits do not want your land to be in harmony with them..." He told this with such conviction and hatred, that I actually started believing what he was saying, just a little. "Your...Princesses were once with the great spirits in the overworld, but they grew jealous of the mortals and their corporeal forms. They left the overworld and made their own bodies and kingdom. The spirits hated them for leaving, they despised them for their greed and ignorance. They withdrew their mighty influence from the deserters' kingdom, leaving disharmony to reign..." He was well rehearsed, or at least his story was. Was I convinced? Of course not, the Princesses always said they were the daughters of the Cosmic mother. But...some rogue element in my mind nagged at me, convincing me that this hybrid may be right. Vault At Hell's GateThe screech of a fearsome predator was thrown across the sandy dunes of the Zebrahara. All eyes turned towards the sky: A Griffon patrol flew overhead of the Zebra convoy. The convoy was being evacuated from their tribal village by the imperialist Griffons. It was a long and sad journey that many tribes had to make in order to preserve their safety. "Come along Lucky One, we are not to linger...." A female zebra, a blue cloak around her nudged along her child. Her child however, was not just a regular zebra, he was a hybrid. Two little black and white wings were folded against his back. "I don't wanna leave, mommy! I wanna stay in the village!" The hybrid foal pushed against his mother's legs in a futile attempt to stop her. It only caused him to be pushed along the sand. "Can't daddy stop the Griffons from making us leave?" His father was a pegasus, a very important one. Big Talk was the Equestrian Ambassador to the Zebrahara, and in love with his mother. "Your father is away on business, Lucky...." Her voice seemed sad, hurt. Lucky didn't know why, but it made him sad too. It hurt his heart to hear his mother sad. "Looks like we got us a little hybrid." One of the Griffon sentries walked over to the duo, his armor blinding them from the sun overhead. The imperialist's claw grabbed Lucky's head and made him look up at him. "Ugly little creature, ain't ya?" Lucky pulled his head away and glared at the creature that towered over him. "I bet that one of the reps would like you." His mother pulled him close to her. "Leave him alone..." His mother covered his head with her cloak, hoping to shield him from what they might say or do. "Oh and this one has some fight in her." Lucky saw the Griffon's talons grab his mother by her cheeks. "I like that.." The Griffon. which Lucky identified as a commander from his armor, grinned evilly. "Take her back to the camp..." Those words, he'd heard them before. Every time the Griffons came to their village, that Zebra was never seen again. Tears started to well in his eyes, the thought of his mother leaving was overwhelming. The way she held him when sandstorms raged outside, the comforting words she whispered when the other foals made fun of him, and the bedtime stories of the old spirits she told him each and every night....all the reasons he loved her..and why he didn't want her to go. It filled him with something he had never felt before, something welled up within him, deep from the pit of his stomach. In the years following, it would be the only feeling he would ever know, it would become who he was, it would consume him in an indefinite spiral: It was rage. "L-Lucky...." His mother's striped hoof pulled him out from under her cloak, she craned her head to nuzzle his own, her hoof brushing his mohawk. "I love you, my little miracle...never forget that.." She was speaking in the Zebra's native tongue now, the words seemed more comforting than Equestrian in his mind. "I will be gone for a while....but I will come back for you...." Tears were streaming from her brilliant blue eyes as she caressed him lovingly. "D-Don't go mommy..." His unpracticed tongue couldn't speak his mother's language, but he could understand it. "P-Please..." His rage was still there, but waves of sadness washed over him, his own dark eyes tearing up. "C'mon y'damn Zebra, we don't have all day." His mother, released him, reluctantly. He held onto her hoof for as long as he could, then she let go....and the Griffon walked off with her. He did the only thing he could, he vowed revenge, he vowed his mother's safety. -- I watched as Lone's eyes opened. We were still on the deck of the ship, his mouth had been conveying a story to me, it was devoid of emotion, but I knew that tale was important to him. I had asked him about his past, and he told me. That's how all of this started. "'I'm so sorry, Lone...I didn't know.." It was something, granted it was little. But it was still something. "Do not be. It is the one thing that has kept me going...It is my motivation for my quest." Lone sighed heavily, his face was still shadowed, but I could see the pained look on it. "D-Did you ever find your mother, again..?" "Yes, but that story...I cannot recall that on this night...All of these tales, they pain me to remember. I...I must venture deep into my mind, deep into places that nopony should go..." Somehow I knew he was telling the truth. "But perhaps another time, we are approaching the dock." -- Gilda watched over the bustling city known as Gull, it was the Griffon Kingdom's only port, and the only city where non-Griffons were allowed to settle. Her prey's boat was to arrive this very night, and this night....her prey would fall beneath her mighty talons. Where Do You Belong?"Tell me freak, where do you belong?" For some reason, those words echoed throughout Lone's mind Each one pounding against his skull with such force that it tore through his anger and into the very core of his mind. His gaze was still fierce, matching the Griffon's who held him down. He showed no signs of confusion or thought, he only showed the col, dead eyes he had since they took his mother fifteen years ago. The Griffon's talons dug into his chest further, Lone felt warm blood run down his coat. However, he did not cry out, nor did he curse. He held his tongue. He knew true pain, no Griffon could match that. Out of pure anger and hatred for the species, he planted his front hooves on the ground and pushed himself up, the talons pushing deeper into his chest. The griffon, his feathers a matte black, his eyes as gray as the moon, looked startled. "I belong in one place.." His heavily accented voice carried venom that any creature would be wise to move away from. "Your mind..I am fear, I am hatred, I am the being that will go to the ends of the universe to ensure your suffering." Lone put his hoof on the Griffon's claw. "Finish me...." The predator hesitated. "Finish me!" The claw shook in his chest as more blood spilled down his body. "FINISH ME!" The coward wouldn't do it, too intimidated to put his claws even an inch deeper. Lone's hoof struck the Griffon's throat, the half-bird squawked and stumbled backwards, his claws coming out of Lone's chest with a flourish of blood. The Zebra hybrid got up slowly, blood pouring from his wound slowly. He reached down and picked up his scimitar up between his teeth: He dropped it when the Griffon first knocked him down. His dark eyes glared at the dark colored creature before him. -- That had been his most famed attack, that griffon was Gildogar, the head chairman of the Griffon representative government. In that encounter Lone blinded the future politician in one eye and nearly slit his throat. Sure, Lone had sustained a serious chest wound, but he was a quick healer....and rage is one hell of an anesthetic. He also learned something from that encounter, the location of his father. Throughout the years, he had been trying to figure out who took his mother all those years ago. He had finally figured it out a year ago. His father had left to go back to the Griffon Kingdoms, then sold the location of the village and all of the details to the Griffon government...and had ordered the capture of his mother for transportation to him. Lone was outside of his father's 'stately manor' in the port city of Gull now. A year after his encounter with Gildogar and he was finally here. It was a multistory building, mostly made out of marble and fenced in. Just way it looked made Lone's rage bubble up. He had already scaled the fence and made it to the door: The solid piece of wood loomed over him, too big for a door on any regular house. He knocked. When his hoof landed, the thud of his hoof against the wood was akin to the sound of thunder. The silence following was unbearable. Lone's mind was torn: Would he get his father to explain himself? Or would he just kill the bastard on sight? What of his mother? Was she still alive? Was she his slave, or did he take her as a bride and just forget about him? The door opened and he was face to face with a zebra slave. It wasn't his mother though, he knew every stripe on his mother's face and these weren't a match. "Hello, may I help you?" Her Zebraharan accent was nearly gone from her voice. The indoctrination had taken hold, her dead eyes told him that she couldn't see his Zebra heritage underneath his cloak. He had taken to wearing it some time ago to hide his various scars....among other things. "I am looking for Big Talk.." His own accent was blatant, he did nothing to hide it or disguise it. The slave's eyes widened and she stepped away, gesturing him inside quickly. He had come across this all over the Griffon Kingdoms, the slaves were always kind to one of their own and always passed along information or whatever they could. "Thanks.." He walked passed into the foyer, he didn't care what it looked like, he didn't take in the sights of all of these ill gotten gains. He simply headed up the stairs towards where he guessed his father's study to be. He came to a door with a sign that said 'knock before entering' on it. This was it, he put his hoof on the door and pushed it open. A dark blue pegasus sat at a long desk, his black mane was ruffled and looked unwashed. "I told you to leave me alone Matilda!" His deep voice boomed, it almost made Lone take a step back. He turned around, his bright blue eyes connected with mine. He looked tired, old, lonely. Nothing like the villain I thought he would be. "O-Oh...I'm sorry..I didn't realize I had any appointments planned for today.." He stood from his chair and slicked back his mane. His wings were ruffled and unkempt, something most unbecoming of a pegasus. "I'm so sorry, i have been rather busy the past few days....planning some things.." His eyes looked back to the papers on his desk, he quickly turned his gaze to his unknown son. "So sorry, who are you?" Lone started to speak, but his mouth was dry, no words would come. Everything he had planned to say fell short, nothing prepared him for this. "I-I...." Big furrowed his brow in confusion. "Is that a Zebraharan accent..? Is this about my wife..?" Wife. The word hung in the air. Did he mean his mother? "Y-Yes..." Lone spoke hesitantly, the word shook out of his mouth. "Listen, I know it's customary to bury Zebras in their homeland, but..I..I just want her here. I want to be buried next to her...next to my son." That ignited something else within Lone, curiosity. "Your...son?" "Yes, her and I had a son...a hybrid. His name was Lucky One...." he smiled. "My idea...it seemed appropriate." "How...how did he die..?" "I'm not sure, the Griffon patrol who found his body...they didn't know how he died. But..they brought him here and we gave him a proper burial...poor Zenita never got over it..." His rough blue hoof brushed his mane as he looked at the ground. "Y-You...didn't even look for me..?" The familiar rage came back. "What..?" Lone threw his hood back, his scarred muzzle and one empty eye socket were revealed to the light. Battle scars from ambushes. Next he undid his cloak and let it fall to the ground, bald wings twitched against the open air: he plucked each feather as it grew to remind him of the pain his pony heritage brought him. "L-Lucky...?" His 'father's' eyes watered around the edges and he took a tentative step forward. "Do not call me that.." Lone whispered. "O-Oh my Celestia...it really is you. Lucky...I-I missed you...your mother missed you so much." He reached out, Lone batted away a hoof with his own. "Do not touch me!" "Lucky....they said you were dead..when the Griffon patrol said they forgot you.......I sent so many teams out to find you. They said they found your body..." his father sat down and dropped his face into his hooves. "Celestia forgive me.." he wept. "DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Lone shouted, he felt sadness, rage...everything from the night his mother was taken and he was forgotten. Big's teary eyes stared at him, pleading for some form of forgiveness. "P-Please...Lucky..listen to me." Lone, out of pure rage and in the spur of the moment did the one thing he could, he kicked his father. Years of running from his problems and fights had toned Lone's legs and made them dangerous weapons, they sent Big flying backwards....and straight out of the window that was behind him. It took a few seconds for Lone to understand what he had just done, then he realized it...he had killed his own father. -- Lone and I stood over two unmarked graves, he had said we needed to come here. I didn't ask why, I don't think I would want to. But for some reason, I had a feeling that it was something very close to him...whatever it may be on this old decrepit manor grounds in this port city. Hooves Fail Me Not"Lone..." I heard someone behind us call his name. I looked over and saw my companion grimace underneath his hood. Something about him changed: his stance grew more aggressive, his whole body seemed to shake and he slightly arched his back. "Stay here....do not turn. Do not run. Stay here." He turned, and I did with him. I didn't care what he had to say, if something bad was going to happen, I needed to watch in case he needed what limited help I could give. Standing at the gate to the small graveyard was a Griffon. She wore traditional Griffon battle armor that gleamed in the moonlight, and her helmet had violet accents around the eyes. "Gilda..." By Lone's tone, he obviously knew the armored adversary. "You have caused us a lot of trouble, Lone. I'll take pleasure in killing you." The Griffon, Gilda, clacked her beak and rapped her talons against the ground. "You will fall, Gilda. Just like your father..." Lone's hoof undid his cloak, the wind blew it off for him. That's when I got my first glimpse of his body. Scars crisscrossed his body, they were so numerous I couldn't count. His wings were black and white feathered, but they look wrong, mangled. The most shocking thing was his empty eye socket: the interior was covered in pale skin, a sign of a bad healing spell on an old injury. He was older than I realized as well, I could tell by the graying at the base of his mane and tail. Though underneath the robe he was not entirely naked: He wore a sheathe on his back that housed a curved blade and several pouches lined his sides. "You're looking old, Lone. Sure you won't break when I hit you?" "Who says you will hit me..?" Lone stood up on his back hooves, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Gilda took the bait and lunged, the Zebra hybrid easily sidestepped the aggressive and clumsy attack, only to bring his hoof painfully down on the armored griffon's exposed neck. The bird squawked and hit the ground, she rolled away from one of his rear hooves that aimed to crush her windpipe. With a mighty flap of her wings she righted herself to her feet. Lone smirked, his one good eye carefully watching his opponent with great interest. Gilda on the other hoof, growled and pounded her claws on the ground: She was frustrated, angry. Even I knew this was going to lead to mistakes. She pounced with her powerful feline legs, assisted by flapping her wings. Her armored claw balled into a fist as she closed the distance, Lone did not flinch. At the last possible second, he deflected her fist with his hoof and jumped over her in a single bound. "Your father was a much better fighter." Lone now had his back to her, I could see his smirk clear as day. I could also see Gilda's fury building from being bested by an old, one eyed zebra. "I think it's time to end this..." I couldn't tell if he was telling this to me, or to her, but he reached into one of his various pouches and produced a green powder. On the next charge, he turned around and in one fluid motion, blew the powder into her face. The warrior half squawked, half roared and stumbled backwards. Her irises turned a deep purple and she fell onto the ground, writhing in what could have been pain or confusion. I couldn't be sure. My companion picked his cloak up off of the ground and put it on, acting as though nothing had happened. "Sh-Shouldn't we help her..?" I was genuinely worried about the fallen foe, she looked in pain. "It is just a hallucinogen. She is having a...." He looked up as he put on his hood. "...bad trip." I had heard of Zebra drugs, 'Vision Powders' they called them. I looked back at Gilda one more time, then followed Lone out of the graveyard and into the streets of Gull. We walked for a few minutes in silence, I hated silence, especially with Lone. When he was silent, it always made me feel as though he was thinking of ways to kill me. "So...your cutie mark.." I noticed it during the fight, but I just realized the implications. His cutie mark were two freshly made graves, side by side. Fitting considering where we had been. "You know what they say...when you seek revenge, dig two graves." -- "I see..." The unicorn before him was young, younger than him, that was obvious. He had definitely spent a lot of time and money to come out to this remote village in the Zebrahara. Even though he was obviously roasting in his dark blue coat, he kept his cool. His voice was smooth and practiced, his eyes were calm and thoughtful. He was a pony that Lone actually liked. Shortly after Lone murdered his father, he went back to the Zebrahara and went through a spiritual transition. He absorbed every ounce of spiritualism and culture that the Zebras had to offer, he also vowed to never kill again for as long as he drew breath. He absolved himself of sins in the spirit oasis and pledged to protect all life and make it equal for all in the name of the spirits. Now, this stallion comes in with the same dream. Equality and getting back at the traitors of the overworld. He knew how, and he wanted Lone's help. It was a righteous cause, and he could see the pure heart of this pony. "What do I have to do?" This made the outsider smirk. "All I need is some help with these maps..." His horn glowed and he produced maps from his saddlebag. They were star charts. "You have a deal, Star Shine..." Home Is Where The Fight IsWe made it out of Gull rather quickly, Lone didn't want to linger there with Gilda so close, he made that clear. I kept in step, which was surprisingly hard considering how old he looked. I watched him move, each step was measured, precise, careful. He was much more interesting than I previously considered, sure it seemed that most of his life was behind him, but he was still as nimble as back in his stories. "Lone...?" My voice came out against my brain urging it not to. The Zebra looked at me. "I was wondering....why did you rename yourself?" A sigh emanated from under the hood. "I....when I figured out what my father did...I wanted no part of my Pony heritage..'Lucky One' was dead, I changed my name to Lone..." This time he pronounced it how it was spelled: Loan. "It means demon in my native tongue...I altered it. I belong in neither the Pony or Zebra world...My name reflects that now." As per his usual, his voice was explanatory, but not emotional. "Oh...I changed my name too, you know.." This apparently piqued the interest of Lone, for he looked at me and tossed his hood back. "What was it before?" "Sea Foam. My father said I looked like the sea during the dawn..." That made me crack a smile, my father was a kind pony. Fisherpony by trade, and he loved every day of it. "Why did you change it? It suits you well." "Well....after I got my cutie mark...I-who would want a doctor named Sea Foam? It makes no sense, so I changed it to drum up business." I remembered that day, when I came home with my new name, my father was heartbroken. I'll never forget the look on his face, the disappointment, the pure sadness. "Hmm." That was all I got from Lone. He didn't launch into a rant about ponies putting too much stock in names. "I suppose we both are running from who we are." His one eye focused on the ground, as if looking for answers in the dirt. "So...what kind of travel do we have ahead of us?" I had never been outside of Equestria, heck I've never really been out of Baltimare. "We'll cross through Equine Pass to get across The Craggy Mountains...it will take a few days. Then we cross the volcanic fields. Then we're into the Zebrahara...straight shot into the Chimeran Wastes." "Th-The Chimeran wastes...?" I'd heard tales of that Discord-Damned place. It was nearly uninhabitable, at least to most creatures. Acid-spitters, Mongrels, and Chimerans killed most travelers who entered, and cursed those who made it out alive. It was Tartarus on Earth, "Do not worry, the Spirits will guide and protect us through it." he seemed so sure, so hopeful. -- "Forgive me, Kaare for my insolence, Forgive me Zera for my murders, and forgive me Nori for my impure intentions.." Lone sat at the base of an ancient shrine dedicated to the spirits of the overworld. The dwellers of the desert came here to absolve themselves of their sins, of their hubris, and of their past. "You may enter the cave of the wicked, now." The old grizzled Zebra shaman said from behind him. The cave of the wicked was there for those who could not be cleansed by only asking, it was for those who needed divine intervention...he was one of those. He stood, disrobed, and dropped his weapons. He was left as naked as the day he came into this world so the Spirits may see all the scars he bared, and the marking on his flank. He stepped towards the cave, a feeling of pacifism and calm washed over him with every step he took. Ancient whispers came on the air that wafted from the cave. He stepped in, the outside world closed behind him, and a light erupted in front of him. It was pure, cleansing....heavenly. It uplifted him, not just spiritually, but literally. It picked him up and drew him in. When the light died down and he could finally see again, he noticed something...he could see...out of both eyes. With a quick inspection, he also realized all of his scars were gone and his wings' plumage was full and actually useful. "Enjoying your rejuvenated form, Lucky?" He had been so enraptured with his body, that he had not even noticed the thrones sat before him. In the heavenly thrones, the most divine figures he had ever laid eyes upon sat. He fell to his knees in the presence of such beauty. The one who spoke chuckled. "Rise, Lucky." He did as he was told, who wouldn't in this situation? "Do you know who we are..?" There were three figures in thrones, but two empty thrones sat on each side. He knew who they belonged to. "Y-You are Nori, The Pure. Y-You all have blessed me with your presence." Every spirit before him was just as beautiful as the last, their forms were ever changing and rearranging, they were the most harmonious things in the world. "Yes, and do not fear us. You have no need to, you are not the traitors, so you can be forgiven." She gave a kind, knowing smile. "But I do have Equine in me, the blood of sinners..." He looked down, no matter how much he thought about it or tried to get away from it, he was sill part pony. "Yes, but you have shown that you are not like them, you do not worship false gods, you do not force the world into harmony...you are pure." This time, Kaare The Wise spoke. "You truly are one of our divine children, we see no impurities in you, do we Zera?" She turned her head to the final deity, Zera The Peaceful. "We only see a child scorned. We saw your plight, and we lead you as best as we could. You finally got what you needed, peace of mind." Zera tapped her chin as she spoke. "I murdered my father and killed countless others...can I truly ever be at peace?" "That is something that we cannot decide...." Nori, in all of her purity, only spoke the truth. "But we can offer our blessing and protection to help settle your fears." Kaare spoke wisely, slowly. "Keep your heart pure, and your path enlightened, then when you finally come home to rest, you may be at peace. "Zera's voice flowed through the mystic hall in such ways that no words could describe. "But beware, young Lucky, there will be those that wish to do you harm. There will be trials, and there will be falls. We will be with you during those times in spirit, but you will never be- -- "-alone.." Lone said something, like he was reciting a long forgotten speech, but I only caught the last word...and the look he threw my way.
In The BeginningIn the beginning, there was said to be nothing. Then, in an instant, everything came into being. Whether it was due to some sort of intelligent design or just a cosmic coincidence is up for debate. Either way, the same thing happened: all worlds and all possibilities flung into the cosmic stew of the universe. One such world and possibility was ours. The world of Terra, where magical equines and all other forms of beasts rule. I always thought that the answers to how our world worked and where it came from would one day be revealed in a glorious explosion of knowledge that would enlighten and unite all creatures, dissolving countries, race, and all other barriers. I was wrong. The world cannot go from this existence to a united one through peace, it must and will be baptized by fire. It's a sad, painful, truth. I am part of a secret society known as the Unification Syndicate. Though, I was not always part of it...perhaps I should start at the beginning of my path to enlightenment. -- 2 years ago I was happy, I had just got the first half of my pay from my employer, the mysterious 'Master' as his underlings called him. It was more bits than I usually saw in a year: a whopping 25,000 just for signing the contract and another 25,000 upon completion of the task. I was rolling in money, and it felt great. I wasn't about to spend it all in one go, though. I allocated a small amount of it to buying supplies for the trip: I was hired for my healing talent, so herbs and assorted healing scrolls were bought. I also got some books to read during my spare time: I was told to pack light, so I did. I'm not an ugly mare, my light green coat, sky blue eyes and gentle pink mane all earned me stares from colts and some mares that I passed by on the busy city streets. Perhaps me sashaying my flank as I walked helped draw those stairs. In a city with a lot of ugly sights, It was nice to be considered pretty. I was on my way to a ship docked at Baltimare Harbor, luckily that was the city in which I was born, so I didn't have to pay to travel to anywhere else in Equestria. Most Equestrian cities were far apart, especially the major ports. Plus, I hate travelling by train, I was born at sea and that's where I'm most comfortable. I knew the ship I was set to travel on, The Endeavor, It was an old exploration ship that had served in the Equestrian Navy for over 150 years. It was decommissioned a few years ago and a private collector bought it and repaired it intensively according to reports. I was to meet one of the 'Master's' underlings at the docks, I wasn't told his name or his appearance, just that I would know him when i saw him. My mom always used to say 'Herbal, don't talk to strangers, you'll end up getting yourself hurt.' If that was true, I'd be dead by now. Strangers were always the most interesting people. Talking to strangers always allowed for the discovery of new stories and new legends: I loved stories, but it wasn't my special talent. Healing was. I worked as a freelance medic around the city, patching up drifters and poor families in the slums, it didn't pay well, but it was good for the soul. Humbling, even. I rounded around one of the dock buildings and spotted The Endeavor. It was not a big ship, it wasn't supposed to be. In order to be an exploration ship it had to be fast and lightweight, not weighed down like war ships. The sails billowed in the wind as if nature ached for the ancient ship to sail upon the open seas once again. Standing at the end of the gangplank was a pony wearing a pitch black cloak that covered his whole body except for a narrow slot for his eyes. As I got closer, I saw dark, soulless brown eyes peering from the slot. They followed my approach, as if analyzing every movement, every contour of my being, looking for any and all weakness. They were the eyes of a predator. "Um...Are you the pony i'm supposed to meet...?" I approached cautiously. I knew the look he was giving me, he was a seasoned veteran: Of what wars or atrocities, I'm not sure I wanted to. "I am if you are Herbal Remedy." His voice was deep, the accent was foreign, sounded Zebraharan. Even though his mouth was covered by the thick cloth of his cloak, his voice sounded as clear as crystal. "Yeah....that's me.." It felt awkward, he stood unwavering. Resolute. "So, what's your name...?" "Lone.." He pronounced his name like 'Loan-ee' That basically solidified that he was not from Equestria. "Get on the boat, It is time." Without a hello or how do you do, Lone turned around and trotted up the gangplank. As he moved,I observed that he had a severe limp on his left side. Perhaps from some long ago battle, or just a defect. Without a word, if it was out of fear, or reverence for this clearly seasoned veteran, I obeyed without a word. I walked up the gangplank, checking my saddlebag straps with my magic to make sure they were tight enough. As I walked onto the deck, I noticed a severe lack of crew. No sailors were checking the lines or scrubbing the decks. Nothing. Just Lone limping up the stairs. "Where's the crew..?" I murmured to myself, barely audible to my own perception. "You need not worry about that." His sudden response made me jump, I had no clue how he could have heard what I considered thoughts. "O-Okay..." I trotted over to the center of the gently rocking ship. The gently swaying floor felt right under my hooves, almost as if I belonged here instead of healing ponies in the slums. "I love ships..." "Then why are you a healer?" Lone's voice came from the helm, the cloaked equine was standing on his back hooves, leaning on the heavy oak wheel. "Why not take to the seas?" "Healing is my special talent, Mr. Lone." His name felt weird as it slipped out of my mouth, as if it was unnatural, much like the pony itself. "See?" I leaned over some to reveal my light green flank, which had a syringe and an aloe leaf. "You ponies, so stuck in your ways. You are so dependent on a mark to tell you what to do with your life that you cannot do what you truly love." His voice was accusatory, filled with malice and hate. "You name your children after what you hope they become, they take it to heart and try to live up to those expectations." his piercing brown eyes glared daggers at me. "You put too much stock in words and names. Nee Segola. Stupid creatures." Frankly, I felt offended. He just didn't offend me. He offended my talent and my species. I stood and glared at him with my own soft, sky blue eyes the best I could. Simply put, I wasn't intimidating. "Yeah? Well you zebras have cutie marks too. I've seen it before, and at least our names mean something lone." I said his name in such a voice that apparently implied that it was a joke. The veteran did not like that. In a single move: he vaulted over the Captain's Wheel and the railing, right as he hit the thick wooden floors he rolled to avoid injuries. Out of the roll, he stood tall over me, menacing. "You do not make fun of my name, whelp. You do not insult my culture, and you do not talk to me....AGAIN!" His thickly accented voice roared at me, I flattened my ears and crouched down in fear. I knew I could easily fling him away with magic, but I had a feeling that would not be a smart idea. "Now" His voice quieted, I could hear his nostrils flaring from behind the cloth. "Go downstairs. Do not come up here again if you wish to make it to our destination." I obeyed, this time purely out of fear.
EgoThe clack of talons against marble echoed throughout stone cavern that had been carved out centuries ago as a palace for the first griffon king. It was a symbol to the Griffon's grit and ingenuity that they could carve out the very mountains and scar the earth. It was a testament to the raw power of the species. However, Griffons have always lived in the mountains. In the early days they simply made their nests and roosted in the craggy mountains that made up their land, but after the War of Blazing Mountains, the Griffons formed a proper form a government. A representative one at that. Each of the five territories in the kingdom had one representative in the capital. This specific territory, Hawke, was the first territory that ratified the country's constitution and the first one who used militant force to annex area outside of the griffon kingdom. In the year 600 a large griffon force invaded the Zebraharan Desert to annex and bring culture to the native tribes located there. The griffons stayed in the desert for a little over 500 years, the Zebras finally got tired of their despotic rule and banded together to drive the outsiders back to their own kingdom. Needless to say, the whole affair left some very bad blood between the two countries, and left Equestria to moderate between them. Something both parties despised. The griffons, always proud of their militant ways, often sent their children out on a pilgrimage to other countries to absorb cultures and observe the customs and weaknesses of said culture. One of the children, who had recently just returned to the fatherland, was lounging about in the ancient palace on a soft couch in her room. Her claws were idly tapping on the marble floor beneath her. "Madame Gilda..?" The griffon's purple shaded eyes looked up at the intruding voice. It was her personal slave, Nikal. All around the Griffon Kingdom Zebras served as a source of slave labor, usually in palaces and wealthy households.The slaves were shipped from the Zebrahara, taken up as orphans, or simply stolen in the night. When they arrived in the fatherland, they were taken to a processing center where their tribal markings were removed and the were taught Egalian. The language of the griffons. Only after that, were they allowed to serve their griffon masters. "I thought I told you that I was not to be disturbed." Gilda clacked her beak and tapped her claws a little more intensely than before. "Need I rake my claws against your back to teach you a lesson?" The griffon princess sneered at the Zebra. Gilda had spent her whole life with the ability to push around and threaten her slaves, something that clearly showed in her attitude towards any creature that resembled Zebras...that meant Ponies as well. "N-No Madame." The slave's voice still had a little hint of her native accent in it when she was afraid. Regression meant fear, fear meant Gilda was happy. "M-master Gildogar wishes to see you in the throne room immediately." The zebra moved towards the door slowly under the gaze of the predator watching her. "I-I am sorry for disturbing you.." The slave backed out of the room with such speed that it would make Dash envious. "Go figure, I'm home for less than a day and Dad already has some stupid task for me..." The Princess grumbled under her breath as she got off of her couch and sauntered over to a glass case on the other side the room. Inside the case was something of great importance: her armor. It was customary to wear it when entering the throne room and meeting with the king. Even if she was the King's daughter. The armor itself was astonishing. The base material was tempered steel forged in the Falconian Volcanic System that ran deep under the country. The breast plate was scarred from numerous past battles, but still retained its polished sheen. Her battle claws were sharpened to the deadliest point one could imagine, but the pride of the set was the helmet. The helm was coated with pure platinum to give it a brilliant shine, light violet accented the metal around the eyes in order to enhance her natural color, and the feathers of fallen enemies formed a mohawk along the spine of it. It was of her own creation, and it was her pride and joy. So she went to work putting on the armor. Practiced claws worked worn latches and hinges with ease, taking the armor out of the case and applying it to the young griffon's toned body. Her thoughts were not needed on that work, it was easy. So she let her thoughts drift back to what she was thinking about before Nikal interrupted her. They were of a certain blue mare from flight camp in Cloudsdale. She knew that Dash would never accept her feelings though, the pegasus had said so. That didn't stop Gilda's scheming mind though, she was thinking of how to get Dash. Right now, she was planning on just sending out one of her father's slaver units to pick up the mare for indoctrination and delivery. Gilda shook her head clear of thoughts, then gently lowered the helm over he head. The cool steel felt right on her head. She shook out her wings and stretched to make sure that the armor was on right. Indeed it was, not a surprise though. She grinned at her warlike reflection in the glass, in her opinion she looked more beautiful than any creature she had ever seen. Perhaps that was just her opinion though and not fact. With a wink to her reflection, she turned tail and strutted out of her room and towards the throne room. While each room looked like one that you would see in any other palace, the halls were definitely that of a cave. The rough stone floor, the craggy walls and dripping floors attested to that. It was home to Gilda. After a few minutes of traversing the ancient cave, she came to the throne room. It wasn't a room per-say, simply the entrance to the cave with a gilded throne that rose high towards the ceiling. The Princess bowed in front of her father's seat. "Rise." Her father's voice boomed from atop it. Gilda stood proudly in her armor, her wings flared wide. "Do you know why I have called you here, daughter?" Unlike most interactions, Gilda actually respected her battle hardened father. While she had never had a truly face to face conversation with him, she still loved him like any child would lover their parent. "No father, I do not." Her voice was reserved, her usual rage subsided in the presence of the towering figure above her. "We have received a report from one of our spies in Equestria. An enemy of the kingdom is on their way here as we speak." Before Gilda could respond, her father came down from his loft. A very seldom occurrence. He had a gilded patch over his right eyes, his feathers on his head were already graying around the edges, but his most magnificent feature were his wings. They were gold at the fringes, and shifted to black the closer they got to his body. She had only seen him this close twice before, and she was in awe. "F-Father,,?" She instinctively bowed in his regal presence. "Gilda, rise." He placed a claw on her shoulder. "This enemy is one of my old foes...no, my oldest foe. If he is here, then only bad things can come." Gilda didn't say a word, she was too shocked to do so. "I am too old to confront him, but you....I believe you can do it, Gilda. You have proven yourself in the field of battle, and you are my daughter." He gave a small smile, the scar across his beak making it hard to do so. "His name is Lone, A Zebra tribal. He's been killing our patrols in the Zebraharan for over 40 years...he's how I lost my eye" The smile faded. "He's arriving in Peregrine in a couple of days." "Do you wish for me to capture him, father?" She would succeed, not for her ego, not for the honor of her country. But for her father, she wanted his acceptance more than anything. "No. Kill Him."
The Spirits Smile Upon UsI had been beneath deck for several hours, needless to say it was boring as all hell. I needed out, but I was too afraid to do do so. Lone had warned me, but I needed some fresh air. So I carefully went up the stairs and opened the door. When I looked out, I saw the endless night sky bathing us in starlight, I saw the same empty ship, the same wind billowed sails pushing us across the open sea. In other words, Lone had been right. He could do it all by himself. Speaking of the terrifying Zebra, I saw him nowhere on the ship's deck. I could only assume he had went downstairs when I was reading, I didn't doubt that he could accomplish such a feat. So I stepped out onto the deck and took a deep breath, the sea air was invigorating and good for the soul. I turned to look up at the captain's wheel, and what I saw astonished me. Sitting right in front of the moon, was Lone. His silhouette revealed that he was uncloaked, but the astonishing thing was not that he wasn't wearing his cloak, but that wings flared out from his body, casting a god-like shadow upon the ship's deck. I may not be the best in terms of biology, but even I knew that Zebras didn't have wings. "You came up here again..." The zebra's voice came down, it was calm and unending, just like the sea that our ship cut easily through. That didn't help calm me though, it made me tremble just a little. "I admire that." Now that surprised me. "Come up here..." His voice was hypnotic, commanding, it compelled me to go to him. Up the stairs and over to him I went. As I drew closer, I saw him for the first time. He was definitely a pegasus, but his coat was that of a Zebra: Black with white stripes. Even stranger, the feathers on his wings alternated between black and white. He was a hybrid. I had heard about Zebra Pony hybrids, the often didn't survive past infancy, hence why they were so rare to see. Apparently Lone had survived and even thrived. "I feel as though I must apologize.." His face was still hidden by shadows. "I did not mean to snap at you earlier, Pony. I simply do not like when your kind insults mine..." I could see his brow furrow even in the shadows, I could also make out golden earrings twinkling in the moonlight. "Umm...Lone?" His name still felt strange. "Aren't you...kind of a pony too..?" "In body, yes." He raised his head so he could look to the scars, the moonlight illuminated his dark muzzle, it was so scarred that barely any fur grew on it. "But not in spirit. It matters not what you are in body, but what you are in soul. It is one of the things you ponies do not understand..." He lowered his head into the shadows once more. "But...who you are on the outside does sort of affect who you are....right?" I stepped closer, trying to get a good look at his face but failing. "No...It does not." The way he said it made it clear that the topic was not up for discussion anymore. After a few awkward moments, I finally spoke. "How are you controlling the ship...?" "I am not doing anything. It is the spirits. They look upon this vessel with favor." I could see his silhouetted muzzle form a small smile when he mentioned the spirits. "They know our cause is righteous, and that my heart is pure. They wish to offer your heart purity as well, it would be wise to do so. The spirits are kind to the pure." I wasn't spiritual, really, I wasn't. All of this talk was ridiculous in my mind. "Who controls the wind? It is Luna? I think that's what we're taught....she likes the sea." I tapped my hoof against my chin, trying to remember the lessons I was taught. Lone only frowned. "No. Your false gods do nothing of the sort. The spirits frown upon your nation and your reverence of the false deities. Why do you think that the pegasi must move the clouds and the earth ponies must grow all of the crops? Because the spirits do not want your land to be in harmony with them..." He told this with such conviction and hatred, that I actually started believing what he was saying, just a little. "Your...Princesses were once with the great spirits in the overworld, but they grew jealous of the mortals and their corporeal forms. They left the overworld and made their own bodies and kingdom. The spirits hated them for leaving, they despised them for their greed and ignorance. They withdrew their mighty influence from the deserters' kingdom, leaving disharmony to reign..." He was well rehearsed, or at least his story was. Was I convinced? Of course not, the Princesses always said they were the daughters of the Cosmic mother. But...some rogue element in my mind nagged at me, convincing me that this hybrid may be right.
Vault At Hell's GateThe screech of a fearsome predator was thrown across the sandy dunes of the Zebrahara. All eyes turned towards the sky: A Griffon patrol flew overhead of the Zebra convoy. The convoy was being evacuated from their tribal village by the imperialist Griffons. It was a long and sad journey that many tribes had to make in order to preserve their safety. "Come along Lucky One, we are not to linger...." A female zebra, a blue cloak around her nudged along her child. Her child however, was not just a regular zebra, he was a hybrid. Two little black and white wings were folded against his back. "I don't wanna leave, mommy! I wanna stay in the village!" The hybrid foal pushed against his mother's legs in a futile attempt to stop her. It only caused him to be pushed along the sand. "Can't daddy stop the Griffons from making us leave?" His father was a pegasus, a very important one. Big Talk was the Equestrian Ambassador to the Zebrahara, and in love with his mother. "Your father is away on business, Lucky...." Her voice seemed sad, hurt. Lucky didn't know why, but it made him sad too. It hurt his heart to hear his mother sad. "Looks like we got us a little hybrid." One of the Griffon sentries walked over to the duo, his armor blinding them from the sun overhead. The imperialist's claw grabbed Lucky's head and made him look up at him. "Ugly little creature, ain't ya?" Lucky pulled his head away and glared at the creature that towered over him. "I bet that one of the reps would like you." His mother pulled him close to her. "Leave him alone..." His mother covered his head with her cloak, hoping to shield him from what they might say or do. "Oh and this one has some fight in her." Lucky saw the Griffon's talons grab his mother by her cheeks. "I like that.." The Griffon. which Lucky identified as a commander from his armor, grinned evilly. "Take her back to the camp..." Those words, he'd heard them before. Every time the Griffons came to their village, that Zebra was never seen again. Tears started to well in his eyes, the thought of his mother leaving was overwhelming. The way she held him when sandstorms raged outside, the comforting words she whispered when the other foals made fun of him, and the bedtime stories of the old spirits she told him each and every night....all the reasons he loved her..and why he didn't want her to go. It filled him with something he had never felt before, something welled up within him, deep from the pit of his stomach. In the years following, it would be the only feeling he would ever know, it would become who he was, it would consume him in an indefinite spiral: It was rage. "L-Lucky...." His mother's striped hoof pulled him out from under her cloak, she craned her head to nuzzle his own, her hoof brushing his mohawk. "I love you, my little miracle...never forget that.." She was speaking in the Zebra's native tongue now, the words seemed more comforting than Equestrian in his mind. "I will be gone for a while....but I will come back for you...." Tears were streaming from her brilliant blue eyes as she caressed him lovingly. "D-Don't go mommy..." His unpracticed tongue couldn't speak his mother's language, but he could understand it. "P-Please..." His rage was still there, but waves of sadness washed over him, his own dark eyes tearing up. "C'mon y'damn Zebra, we don't have all day." His mother, released him, reluctantly. He held onto her hoof for as long as he could, then she let go....and the Griffon walked off with her. He did the only thing he could, he vowed revenge, he vowed his mother's safety. -- I watched as Lone's eyes opened. We were still on the deck of the ship, his mouth had been conveying a story to me, it was devoid of emotion, but I knew that tale was important to him. I had asked him about his past, and he told me. That's how all of this started. "'I'm so sorry, Lone...I didn't know.." It was something, granted it was little. But it was still something. "Do not be. It is the one thing that has kept me going...It is my motivation for my quest." Lone sighed heavily, his face was still shadowed, but I could see the pained look on it. "D-Did you ever find your mother, again..?" "Yes, but that story...I cannot recall that on this night...All of these tales, they pain me to remember. I...I must venture deep into my mind, deep into places that nopony should go..." Somehow I knew he was telling the truth. "But perhaps another time, we are approaching the dock." -- Gilda watched over the bustling city known as Gull, it was the Griffon Kingdom's only port, and the only city where non-Griffons were allowed to settle. Her prey's boat was to arrive this very night, and this night....her prey would fall beneath her mighty talons.
Where Do You Belong?"Tell me freak, where do you belong?" For some reason, those words echoed throughout Lone's mind Each one pounding against his skull with such force that it tore through his anger and into the very core of his mind. His gaze was still fierce, matching the Griffon's who held him down. He showed no signs of confusion or thought, he only showed the col, dead eyes he had since they took his mother fifteen years ago. The Griffon's talons dug into his chest further, Lone felt warm blood run down his coat. However, he did not cry out, nor did he curse. He held his tongue. He knew true pain, no Griffon could match that. Out of pure anger and hatred for the species, he planted his front hooves on the ground and pushed himself up, the talons pushing deeper into his chest. The griffon, his feathers a matte black, his eyes as gray as the moon, looked startled. "I belong in one place.." His heavily accented voice carried venom that any creature would be wise to move away from. "Your mind..I am fear, I am hatred, I am the being that will go to the ends of the universe to ensure your suffering." Lone put his hoof on the Griffon's claw. "Finish me...." The predator hesitated. "Finish me!" The claw shook in his chest as more blood spilled down his body. "FINISH ME!" The coward wouldn't do it, too intimidated to put his claws even an inch deeper. Lone's hoof struck the Griffon's throat, the half-bird squawked and stumbled backwards, his claws coming out of Lone's chest with a flourish of blood. The Zebra hybrid got up slowly, blood pouring from his wound slowly. He reached down and picked up his scimitar up between his teeth: He dropped it when the Griffon first knocked him down. His dark eyes glared at the dark colored creature before him. -- That had been his most famed attack, that griffon was Gildogar, the head chairman of the Griffon representative government. In that encounter Lone blinded the future politician in one eye and nearly slit his throat. Sure, Lone had sustained a serious chest wound, but he was a quick healer....and rage is one hell of an anesthetic. He also learned something from that encounter, the location of his father. Throughout the years, he had been trying to figure out who took his mother all those years ago. He had finally figured it out a year ago. His father had left to go back to the Griffon Kingdoms, then sold the location of the village and all of the details to the Griffon government...and had ordered the capture of his mother for transportation to him. Lone was outside of his father's 'stately manor' in the port city of Gull now. A year after his encounter with Gildogar and he was finally here. It was a multistory building, mostly made out of marble and fenced in. Just way it looked made Lone's rage bubble up. He had already scaled the fence and made it to the door: The solid piece of wood loomed over him, too big for a door on any regular house. He knocked. When his hoof landed, the thud of his hoof against the wood was akin to the sound of thunder. The silence following was unbearable. Lone's mind was torn: Would he get his father to explain himself? Or would he just kill the bastard on sight? What of his mother? Was she still alive? Was she his slave, or did he take her as a bride and just forget about him? The door opened and he was face to face with a zebra slave. It wasn't his mother though, he knew every stripe on his mother's face and these weren't a match. "Hello, may I help you?" Her Zebraharan accent was nearly gone from her voice. The indoctrination had taken hold, her dead eyes told him that she couldn't see his Zebra heritage underneath his cloak. He had taken to wearing it some time ago to hide his various scars....among other things. "I am looking for Big Talk.." His own accent was blatant, he did nothing to hide it or disguise it. The slave's eyes widened and she stepped away, gesturing him inside quickly. He had come across this all over the Griffon Kingdoms, the slaves were always kind to one of their own and always passed along information or whatever they could. "Thanks.." He walked passed into the foyer, he didn't care what it looked like, he didn't take in the sights of all of these ill gotten gains. He simply headed up the stairs towards where he guessed his father's study to be. He came to a door with a sign that said 'knock before entering' on it. This was it, he put his hoof on the door and pushed it open. A dark blue pegasus sat at a long desk, his black mane was ruffled and looked unwashed. "I told you to leave me alone Matilda!" His deep voice boomed, it almost made Lone take a step back. He turned around, his bright blue eyes connected with mine. He looked tired, old, lonely. Nothing like the villain I thought he would be. "O-Oh...I'm sorry..I didn't realize I had any appointments planned for today.." He stood from his chair and slicked back his mane. His wings were ruffled and unkempt, something most unbecoming of a pegasus. "I'm so sorry, i have been rather busy the past few days....planning some things.." His eyes looked back to the papers on his desk, he quickly turned his gaze to his unknown son. "So sorry, who are you?" Lone started to speak, but his mouth was dry, no words would come. Everything he had planned to say fell short, nothing prepared him for this. "I-I...." Big furrowed his brow in confusion. "Is that a Zebraharan accent..? Is this about my wife..?" Wife. The word hung in the air. Did he mean his mother? "Y-Yes..." Lone spoke hesitantly, the word shook out of his mouth. "Listen, I know it's customary to bury Zebras in their homeland, but..I..I just want her here. I want to be buried next to her...next to my son." That ignited something else within Lone, curiosity. "Your...son?" "Yes, her and I had a son...a hybrid. His name was Lucky One...." he smiled. "My idea...it seemed appropriate." "How...how did he die..?" "I'm not sure, the Griffon patrol who found his body...they didn't know how he died. But..they brought him here and we gave him a proper burial...poor Zenita never got over it..." His rough blue hoof brushed his mane as he looked at the ground. "Y-You...didn't even look for me..?" The familiar rage came back. "What..?" Lone threw his hood back, his scarred muzzle and one empty eye socket were revealed to the light. Battle scars from ambushes. Next he undid his cloak and let it fall to the ground, bald wings twitched against the open air: he plucked each feather as it grew to remind him of the pain his pony heritage brought him. "L-Lucky...?" His 'father's' eyes watered around the edges and he took a tentative step forward. "Do not call me that.." Lone whispered. "O-Oh my Celestia...it really is you. Lucky...I-I missed you...your mother missed you so much." He reached out, Lone batted away a hoof with his own. "Do not touch me!" "Lucky....they said you were dead..when the Griffon patrol said they forgot you.......I sent so many teams out to find you. They said they found your body..." his father sat down and dropped his face into his hooves. "Celestia forgive me.." he wept. "DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Lone shouted, he felt sadness, rage...everything from the night his mother was taken and he was forgotten. Big's teary eyes stared at him, pleading for some form of forgiveness. "P-Please...Lucky..listen to me." Lone, out of pure rage and in the spur of the moment did the one thing he could, he kicked his father. Years of running from his problems and fights had toned Lone's legs and made them dangerous weapons, they sent Big flying backwards....and straight out of the window that was behind him. It took a few seconds for Lone to understand what he had just done, then he realized it...he had killed his own father. -- Lone and I stood over two unmarked graves, he had said we needed to come here. I didn't ask why, I don't think I would want to. But for some reason, I had a feeling that it was something very close to him...whatever it may be on this old decrepit manor grounds in this port city.
Hooves Fail Me Not"Lone..." I heard someone behind us call his name. I looked over and saw my companion grimace underneath his hood. Something about him changed: his stance grew more aggressive, his whole body seemed to shake and he slightly arched his back. "Stay here....do not turn. Do not run. Stay here." He turned, and I did with him. I didn't care what he had to say, if something bad was going to happen, I needed to watch in case he needed what limited help I could give. Standing at the gate to the small graveyard was a Griffon. She wore traditional Griffon battle armor that gleamed in the moonlight, and her helmet had violet accents around the eyes. "Gilda..." By Lone's tone, he obviously knew the armored adversary. "You have caused us a lot of trouble, Lone. I'll take pleasure in killing you." The Griffon, Gilda, clacked her beak and rapped her talons against the ground. "You will fall, Gilda. Just like your father..." Lone's hoof undid his cloak, the wind blew it off for him. That's when I got my first glimpse of his body. Scars crisscrossed his body, they were so numerous I couldn't count. His wings were black and white feathered, but they look wrong, mangled. The most shocking thing was his empty eye socket: the interior was covered in pale skin, a sign of a bad healing spell on an old injury. He was older than I realized as well, I could tell by the graying at the base of his mane and tail. Though underneath the robe he was not entirely naked: He wore a sheathe on his back that housed a curved blade and several pouches lined his sides. "You're looking old, Lone. Sure you won't break when I hit you?" "Who says you will hit me..?" Lone stood up on his back hooves, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Gilda took the bait and lunged, the Zebra hybrid easily sidestepped the aggressive and clumsy attack, only to bring his hoof painfully down on the armored griffon's exposed neck. The bird squawked and hit the ground, she rolled away from one of his rear hooves that aimed to crush her windpipe. With a mighty flap of her wings she righted herself to her feet. Lone smirked, his one good eye carefully watching his opponent with great interest. Gilda on the other hoof, growled and pounded her claws on the ground: She was frustrated, angry. Even I knew this was going to lead to mistakes. She pounced with her powerful feline legs, assisted by flapping her wings. Her armored claw balled into a fist as she closed the distance, Lone did not flinch. At the last possible second, he deflected her fist with his hoof and jumped over her in a single bound. "Your father was a much better fighter." Lone now had his back to her, I could see his smirk clear as day. I could also see Gilda's fury building from being bested by an old, one eyed zebra. "I think it's time to end this..." I couldn't tell if he was telling this to me, or to her, but he reached into one of his various pouches and produced a green powder. On the next charge, he turned around and in one fluid motion, blew the powder into her face. The warrior half squawked, half roared and stumbled backwards. Her irises turned a deep purple and she fell onto the ground, writhing in what could have been pain or confusion. I couldn't be sure. My companion picked his cloak up off of the ground and put it on, acting as though nothing had happened. "Sh-Shouldn't we help her..?" I was genuinely worried about the fallen foe, she looked in pain. "It is just a hallucinogen. She is having a...." He looked up as he put on his hood. "...bad trip." I had heard of Zebra drugs, 'Vision Powders' they called them. I looked back at Gilda one more time, then followed Lone out of the graveyard and into the streets of Gull. We walked for a few minutes in silence, I hated silence, especially with Lone. When he was silent, it always made me feel as though he was thinking of ways to kill me. "So...your cutie mark.." I noticed it during the fight, but I just realized the implications. His cutie mark were two freshly made graves, side by side. Fitting considering where we had been. "You know what they say...when you seek revenge, dig two graves." -- "I see..." The unicorn before him was young, younger than him, that was obvious. He had definitely spent a lot of time and money to come out to this remote village in the Zebrahara. Even though he was obviously roasting in his dark blue coat, he kept his cool. His voice was smooth and practiced, his eyes were calm and thoughtful. He was a pony that Lone actually liked. Shortly after Lone murdered his father, he went back to the Zebrahara and went through a spiritual transition. He absorbed every ounce of spiritualism and culture that the Zebras had to offer, he also vowed to never kill again for as long as he drew breath. He absolved himself of sins in the spirit oasis and pledged to protect all life and make it equal for all in the name of the spirits. Now, this stallion comes in with the same dream. Equality and getting back at the traitors of the overworld. He knew how, and he wanted Lone's help. It was a righteous cause, and he could see the pure heart of this pony. "What do I have to do?" This made the outsider smirk. "All I need is some help with these maps..." His horn glowed and he produced maps from his saddlebag. They were star charts. "You have a deal, Star Shine..."
Home Is Where The Fight IsWe made it out of Gull rather quickly, Lone didn't want to linger there with Gilda so close, he made that clear. I kept in step, which was surprisingly hard considering how old he looked. I watched him move, each step was measured, precise, careful. He was much more interesting than I previously considered, sure it seemed that most of his life was behind him, but he was still as nimble as back in his stories. "Lone...?" My voice came out against my brain urging it not to. The Zebra looked at me. "I was wondering....why did you rename yourself?" A sigh emanated from under the hood. "I....when I figured out what my father did...I wanted no part of my Pony heritage..'Lucky One' was dead, I changed my name to Lone..." This time he pronounced it how it was spelled: Loan. "It means demon in my native tongue...I altered it. I belong in neither the Pony or Zebra world...My name reflects that now." As per his usual, his voice was explanatory, but not emotional. "Oh...I changed my name too, you know.." This apparently piqued the interest of Lone, for he looked at me and tossed his hood back. "What was it before?" "Sea Foam. My father said I looked like the sea during the dawn..." That made me crack a smile, my father was a kind pony. Fisherpony by trade, and he loved every day of it. "Why did you change it? It suits you well." "Well....after I got my cutie mark...I-who would want a doctor named Sea Foam? It makes no sense, so I changed it to drum up business." I remembered that day, when I came home with my new name, my father was heartbroken. I'll never forget the look on his face, the disappointment, the pure sadness. "Hmm." That was all I got from Lone. He didn't launch into a rant about ponies putting too much stock in names. "I suppose we both are running from who we are." His one eye focused on the ground, as if looking for answers in the dirt. "So...what kind of travel do we have ahead of us?" I had never been outside of Equestria, heck I've never really been out of Baltimare. "We'll cross through Equine Pass to get across The Craggy Mountains...it will take a few days. Then we cross the volcanic fields. Then we're into the Zebrahara...straight shot into the Chimeran Wastes." "Th-The Chimeran wastes...?" I'd heard tales of that Discord-Damned place. It was nearly uninhabitable, at least to most creatures. Acid-spitters, Mongrels, and Chimerans killed most travelers who entered, and cursed those who made it out alive. It was Tartarus on Earth, "Do not worry, the Spirits will guide and protect us through it." he seemed so sure, so hopeful. -- "Forgive me, Kaare for my insolence, Forgive me Zera for my murders, and forgive me Nori for my impure intentions.." Lone sat at the base of an ancient shrine dedicated to the spirits of the overworld. The dwellers of the desert came here to absolve themselves of their sins, of their hubris, and of their past. "You may enter the cave of the wicked, now." The old grizzled Zebra shaman said from behind him. The cave of the wicked was there for those who could not be cleansed by only asking, it was for those who needed divine intervention...he was one of those. He stood, disrobed, and dropped his weapons. He was left as naked as the day he came into this world so the Spirits may see all the scars he bared, and the marking on his flank. He stepped towards the cave, a feeling of pacifism and calm washed over him with every step he took. Ancient whispers came on the air that wafted from the cave. He stepped in, the outside world closed behind him, and a light erupted in front of him. It was pure, cleansing....heavenly. It uplifted him, not just spiritually, but literally. It picked him up and drew him in. When the light died down and he could finally see again, he noticed something...he could see...out of both eyes. With a quick inspection, he also realized all of his scars were gone and his wings' plumage was full and actually useful. "Enjoying your rejuvenated form, Lucky?" He had been so enraptured with his body, that he had not even noticed the thrones sat before him. In the heavenly thrones, the most divine figures he had ever laid eyes upon sat. He fell to his knees in the presence of such beauty. The one who spoke chuckled. "Rise, Lucky." He did as he was told, who wouldn't in this situation? "Do you know who we are..?" There were three figures in thrones, but two empty thrones sat on each side. He knew who they belonged to. "Y-You are Nori, The Pure. Y-You all have blessed me with your presence." Every spirit before him was just as beautiful as the last, their forms were ever changing and rearranging, they were the most harmonious things in the world. "Yes, and do not fear us. You have no need to, you are not the traitors, so you can be forgiven." She gave a kind, knowing smile. "But I do have Equine in me, the blood of sinners..." He looked down, no matter how much he thought about it or tried to get away from it, he was sill part pony. "Yes, but you have shown that you are not like them, you do not worship false gods, you do not force the world into harmony...you are pure." This time, Kaare The Wise spoke. "You truly are one of our divine children, we see no impurities in you, do we Zera?" She turned her head to the final deity, Zera The Peaceful. "We only see a child scorned. We saw your plight, and we lead you as best as we could. You finally got what you needed, peace of mind." Zera tapped her chin as she spoke. "I murdered my father and killed countless others...can I truly ever be at peace?" "That is something that we cannot decide...." Nori, in all of her purity, only spoke the truth. "But we can offer our blessing and protection to help settle your fears." Kaare spoke wisely, slowly. "Keep your heart pure, and your path enlightened, then when you finally come home to rest, you may be at peace. "Zera's voice flowed through the mystic hall in such ways that no words could describe. "But beware, young Lucky, there will be those that wish to do you harm. There will be trials, and there will be falls. We will be with you during those times in spirit, but you will never be- -- "-alone.." Lone said something, like he was reciting a long forgotten speech, but I only caught the last word...and the look he threw my way.
