The Hunter's Trek

The Hunter’s Trek

Chapter 7: The Contract

It had been some week and a half since the disappearance of Edmond and the arrival of an invitation to her brother’s wedding. During that time, Twilight had been wracked with a mix of worry and excitement for those two things. Especially since, one, it was rare for Edmond to have left for such a long time – without his companions, no less – and two, how many times does somepony get a chance to go to their big brother's wedding?!

Well, hopefully, this will be his only wedding.

And ponies with more than one brother would probably get to go to more. Unless they didn’t…

This was beside the point. Her brother’s wedding was in four weeks’ time, and she was not going to miss it. She also had to prepare for the trip to the Crystal Empire, check up on friends, who were given tasks for the wedding itself, organise presents, help Pinkie with planning a bachelorette party for Cadance and-and-! Oh, the lists!

And on top of that, she couldn’t actually leave until Edmond got Princess Celestia’s letter! She also had to return his journal.

Although, maybe she could read a little more before he got back?

Putting her most recent of her checklist for the weddings checklist’s checklist, she moved over to where the book in question sat. It had been moved from the main lobby of the hotel to one of the more private library wings, one housing her own collection of books.

Moving up beside the table, Twilight placed a hoof upon the book, ready to open it up once again, when the sound of the hotel’s front door slammed and a loud voice, reverberating around the lobby, caused to scream in fright before freezing still.

“Sparkle?! Spike?! Y’all in here?!” The sound of Edmond’s voice carried itself to Twilight’s ears.

After a few seconds of silent stillness, Twilight panicked slightly and moved to scoop up the book in her magic, failing to notice as a piece of folded paper fell out and onto the floor, as she hurried towards to the room’s door. But then the door opened first, Edmond walking in, decked in his weapons, and her panic started to increase.

Only slightly

“There you are-!”

“I swear I didn’t read your book while you were away!” Twilight blurted out.

Edmond just stood there with a cocked eyebrow and a slightly bemused expression. He muttered something under his breath, too quiet to be heard, then moved in to disarm Twilight’s fears.

“Honestly? I don’t care if you read it. You always do eventually. Long as you aren’t no changeling, right?” he asked, but quickly dismissed her before she could even try to answer. “Nope, don’t seem like it.”

As he grabbed the book still held within her magical grasp – and dusted the magic off – Twilight took those words as a relief and sighed, before speaking up again.

“Wait, what do have against these changelings?” she asked. “And why does it sound like you don’t even know anything about some of these entries?”

Before he chose to answer her questions, Edmond took sight of the folded paper on the ground, knelt down toward it and picked it up.

Pocketing the journal under his cloak, Edmond unfolded the paper and stayed, staring at it for a few seconds. The only sound he made was a short ‘hm’ before he folded it up and offered it up to the unicorn in front of him.

“What is it?” Twilight asked as she took the paper in her magic and stared at its folded form, much like Edmond had.

“It’s an old map. Well, for me it is,” Edmond said in a vague sort of way. “Just open it if you want to know the future of Equestria.

“Anyways, in relation to your questions; I don’t have anything against changelings, it’s just you can never tell when one is lying or being deceptive. Sometimes they’re just… Unstable,” he explained, starting to move towards the door and into the lobby, Twilight following behind. “And I don’t really let any of ‘em, colour or not. It’s just, some of the stuff in their can be dangerous to the environment, their fellows or themselves.

“And there’s nothin’ solid out there anyhow,” Edmond finished, standing within the centre of the lobby. “But, right now, we have a bit of an issue.”

“Oh! That reminds me. Princess Celestia sent you a letter!” Twilight quickly exclaimed, “Let me go get it for you.”

With that, Twilight quickly left to enter another room, the mysterious map floating after her, still held in her magic.

Entering the room she was looking for, which resembled more of an office – which looked a little out of place in a hotel made out of a tree, Twilight placed the map down upon a desk, sitting squarely in the centre of the room, and moved around to one of the drawers attached to it.

On occasion, her gaze flitted up to the piece of paper that apparently held Equestria’s future.

When she finally found the letter she was trying to find, she grabbed the folded paper out with her magic and placed it next to her on the desk. Twilight then turned her attention to the other folded-up item, deciding enough was enough. She had to read it.

And, with no incoming regret in her mind, Twilight Sparkle picked up the map that held, possibly, her future and started to open it.

The drawing, etched upon the paper with a faded look to it, made her brow furrow and her lips to curve downward.

She didn’t even recognise the locations on the map. How was this supposed to tell her anything about the future? All it had was unknown locations. Where even was this ‘Zephyr Heights’?

But… maybe that was the point? Just some new locations on the map. But how far into the future was this? And how does he even know about the future? Is he from the future?

Regardless, she had a job to do. And that was to deliver the Princess’s letter to Edmond. She could ask questions later, after all. And so, with that thought, Twilight placed the map back on top of the desk and made for the exit.

Re-entering the lobby, finding Edmond sitting at one of the tables strewn about the place, she began her trek towards him, grabbing a pillow to sit across from him.

“Here’s the letter. It’s a little over a week old, but I hope that doesn’t matter,” she said as she placed the letter, just as mysterious as the map, in front of him.

After a few seconds of looking the folded piece over, and Twilight looking at him intently, Edmond grabbed it and started to open his own ‘mystery paper’.

A minute of reading had gone by, the only sounds in the silence was a soft and soft ‘hm’ from Edmond. And in that time, Twilight started to get a little antsy, but before she could say anything, the man, sitting in front of her, beat her to it.

“You looked at the map, didn’t ya?” he asked, never taking his eyes from the letter.

Twilight found her opportunity to ask her own question and took it. “Are you-?”

“No answer,” Edmond cut off with a stern-sounding voice. He then took his eyes from reading to look straight at Twilight’s own and, with a slight change in tone, spoke once more. “Consider it a trade of resources, then. Anyways, it would appear as if some far-off civilization, of semi-advanced ponies, just declared war on Equestria.”

He then stood up, from the basic, wooden chair he was seated at, and started for the door, leaving Twilight in surprised shock, however stopping just at the door to pick a strange-looking object out of the umbrella holder by the front he was standing beside.

The thing looked to be made primarily of a wood type, smoothed down to a polish, while a small metal pipe stuck out at a horizontal angle. Two small lever-like mechanisms seemed to be jutting out on the far side, near the back and on the top of a heavily curved handle. There was also a smaller lever on the underside, and a thin metal cover, but both had one of Edmond’s – um… toes, was it? Fingers? – one of those resting upon it. So, what was its use?

“And it looks like I have to go find the idiot that thought taking on Sun Incarnate was a good idea.” Edmond’s voice spooked Twilight, ending her observations of the object, making her flinch. The two locked eyes again, Twilight occasionally, and briefly, looking back at the object.

“What is that? Is it dangerous?” she asked, feeling as if all she accomplished today was make a mental list of questions about the already enigmatic human before her, instead of something productive, like, organise everything needed for the wedding and write it all down!

“It’s loud.”

For yet another long time the two stood, just staring at each other. And once again, Edmond broke the silence. If only so he could leave the awkward bubble the hotel had just made.

“Right, well, I guess I should get going then. See ya sometime else, eh?” And with that, long before Twilight could try to respond, Edmond had already walked out. And, before she could say whatever words she had formed, the door was closed.

Alone now in the lobby, Twilight allowed her thoughts to roam. If Edmond truly is a time traveller, then Why is he here? He did say he was a traveller.

Well, no time to worry about that, she had a wedding to plan!

=====================================/|==========================================/

“Edmond,

“I have an important contract for you. Should you accept, the job must take all of your time, beside any high priority necessity on your part, whether it be food, drink or sleep.

“It has come to my attention that there is a party within Canterlot main who wish for harm upon dyarchy. This party rose to taking action, to my prediction, within this very week. You are to find out as much as you can, as well as track down the stallion who leads this party and bring him in, unharmed. You will know him by the name, Sliver Gift.

“All information on this target is catalogued in a separate note. Should you accept, you should expect it delivered within twenty-four hours.

“Princess Celestia.

“Signature: ___________”

That was all it said. That’s all Celestia had to say.

Edmond knew where to read between the lines, though. He could see, now, how his own kidnapping was connected with this party. And, if what Twilight said about its age, then the timing of either attack seemed too convenient.

Either way, if Celestia needed his help, he wouldn’t deny the request. Especially if to find the true intentions of this group.

Pulling out a pencil from one of his inner pockets, Edmond signed his initials within the space provided. There was no doubt Celestia enchanted this thing or something. Something to pick up the writing on another piece of paper. A bit like Sunset.

With that done, he folded up the letter and tucked it within his coat, placing it within one of the many alcoves within, and continued down the path within the Everfree Forest.

The forest seemed so peaceful today. Maybe the oncoming season of snow was reason enough for the creatures to be leaving this horror many made it to be, to turn into such a nice, calming place. Too bad these trees didn’t change with the season; the things would look beautiful with the sun shining through leaves of red and yellow and orange.

It would be a forest of fire.

After some time, Edmond made it up to a very familiar bridge, connecting itself to a castle, one quite glorious in its days. Well, one of its days. This place did often have bad history.

Shaking himself from the past, Edmond started crossing the seemingly unstable bridge, its groans of pain telling quite thoroughly of its age.

After making the trip across, Edmond moved toward the rotten, old doors. Pushing the doors open, which gave a form of resistance, despite its age, he stepped through to the main ‘lobby’, so to speak.

He looked around the floor of the castle, seeming to look for something specific. Then, he found it.

In the ground lay two loose stones, both separated a one still holding strong to what of the foundation it could. Edmond grabbed the handle to one of his swords, drawing the blade and sticking it into the space one of the loose stones had, using the blade like a lever. Pushing down upon the handle, he pried the stone brick off, revealing that, at least, a majority of the stone had been carved hollow.

Whatever the brick was hiding was revealed to be three rectangular-looking tools, one wider than the other and all stacked in the shape of a pyramid.

He took the two smaller ones, which hand a series of straps on their underside, and slipped both arms through the belts, one at a time.

Making sure they were secured, he then grabbed the wider one, which turned out to be curved in an arc, and snapped it on over his left arm, securing it to the other objects belts.

Satisfied for the week ahead, he moved the stone back in place, but the flapping of wings turned his attention to the collapsed roof, where the midday sun leaked through and two birds sat on the edge, watching him.

He smiled as he recognised them. Both, two companions he’s had for a long time, now.

“Fanu’ia! Ternychus! Glad to see you two again,” he said as the falcon and magpie, respectively, flew down to perch upon their owner. “Man, I’ll tell you, it has been quite the week I had.”

Edmond held up an arm, letting his falcon rest upon it, while Ternychus took his shoulder. And, just as he was about to speak, a light flashed beneath his coat and a smirk formed on his face as he started for the exit.

“Say, what say you. Ya wanna go huntin’?”