The Twilight of a Lost Worldby Fate WeaverChapters1. The Bright Light of Hope2. The One Who Travel3. A Glimpse into the Past1. The Bright Light of HopeI felt my body falling into an infinite abyss, and as darkness swallowed my entire essence, the void tried to state its claim over my mind and my memory. I didn't know what was happening, as everything felt like a dream. A formless and strange dream where the only thing I could do was to try and resist, in an effort to preserve my own sense of self. Even so, it feels that I failed as I couldn't remember who I was or even what my name was, just flashes and scenes from, what I assumed, was my life. In those flashes, I saw myself bedridden ever since birth with an unknown illness that was eating me from the inside; the desperation of my parents trying to save me, even though it would make them miserable, and I could even speak to them and say to them to give up, that I couldn't bear to see them suffering like that. What were their names again? I can't help it, it seems that, just like my name, I can't remember their names too. It's sad, really. I wish I could be there for them. I wish I could help people as they did to me. Now I understand why I felt as if I was falling, why I can't move, and why everything is this utterly terrifying darkness. I am dead... or dying. It seems I will not become a doctor anymore... As if I ever had a chance... hahaha... And as I was finishing my line of thought, that's when I heard a distinguish sound, something that sounded exactly like the bell sounds from the churches my mother took me to as a child to pray for my cure... and then a metallic voice, not much dissimilar to a computer-generated voice, spoke from the blackness. "Outsider, your path has ended, but for you another life was granted. For your past life, your desires and fears, you received the gift "Divine connection" ". It was very strange because I instantly knew what this "Divine connection" was because, as the voice spoke, many flashes of memories flooded my mind. I remember that, when I was eleven, a doctor told me that it was useless to keep fighting, that my destiny was sealed, and that I would not pass from the age of fifteen... that I should stop with the medication, and that all I would accomplish was to die slower. Worst yet, the other doctors that my family took me to reflect the idea of the first. There was no one I could look after to give me hope, and I fell into despair. But my family couldn't just let me die. They encouraged me to fight back, to never give up, and that, even if we are dammed, we should fight till our last breath no matter what. Because of this I sought refuge in religion, I didn't really enter any cult, churches or whatever, but I was always there for those who wanted to help the unfortunate, no matter the religion or beliefs they had. I was there, but I wanted to do more, even with the crumbling body I had – I always love to help people. But even so, I wanted to ask God, or any higher being, why everything was the way it was. Not that I would change anything. I had marvelous parents that were always there for me, and I resisted the illness much more time than expected... for God's sake, last night I was thirty-three, after all. And this seemed to be what this gift was related to. When I reached this conclusion, a dreadful feeling took over the entirety of my being. What was it? No idea. All I could feel was fear as the surrounding abyss started to crack, letting small rays of blinding light enter. And before I could realize what was happening, I cried. "HOPE, IT'S A GIRL!" A woman wearing a nurse's clothing yelled, hurting my ears and, combining with the blinding lights that were hurting my eyes, made me cry even louder."AND LOOK, SHE LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU!" The nurse then put me in the arms of another woman, it was incredible how this simple act calmed me. I didn't know what was happening, but I had a suspicion that the strange voice I heard while in the void wasn't lying. For God's sake, I could barely move my body, but this was more than I could do for YEARS! I can't deny it, it was really strange being held by the woman I suspect was my mother, but I was hungry and, without thinking much, I started feeding myself while my mother hummed a lullaby, cuddling me tight. It was strange, I was a baby girl, but... Was I a girl before? Or I was a guy? No matter what happened, I couldn't figure out who I was, only shards of information and nothing more. Well, that doesn't matter anymore, and, to tell the truth, I really don't care about it. Anyway, one thing I knew for sure was that my new mother was... different from what I expected. I am pretty sure that people don't normally have light purple skin, but her hair was a beautiful shade of gold. I have no problem with this, it just sounds awesome! But that asks the question, "what color am I?" I need to know! Maybe I am red, the color of fire and courage or maybe my skin is blue like the ocean and calmness... I know! Maybe I am yellow, the color of the sun and kindness! "Kind Heart, you're a terrible liar, you know..." my mother spoke, worry seeping from her voice, "She is..." While I was gorging myself with milk, I felt my new mother's words drill in my mind. Something was wrong, really wrong... maybe my illness came to this new life with me? Or maybe I had some problem with my new body that I couldn't see? Please, woman, talk! "No, this is not a problem. She is healthy, I can guarantee it." "But she has no color... her skin and even its small patch of hair..." Now I understand. I was colorless in a world where everyone had strange and colorful skins... well, it is a boomer, but isn't that big of a deal, right? Of course, I wanted to be beautiful, with the color of the sky and the sun, but, well... beggars can't choose, right? I was given another chance at life with what looked like a healthy body, and this, for me, was fantastic. Even so, I really wanted to be red... Anyway... My line of thoughts made me stop my feeding frenzy so I could look at my mother, only to find that she was looking at me too, and when our eyes met and I saw her beautiful golden gaze, I felt something warm inside. "Can you see it, Hope, she has your eyes and is healthy. Now, please, you need to rest. You just gave birth." "Thanks..." The nurse took me from my mother's hand and with the utmost care took me to the nursery. It seems I will have a long road ahead of me, and it will be so FUN! Well, time really passes when all you can do is eat, sleep, and poop; and my low ability to control my bodily fluids is really annoying. Yes, the diapers really help, but it is annoying nonetheless. Of course, this is not much different from the state I was in my previous life, but now, at least, I can feel my body growing. Anyway, six months had passed. And with time, I started learning more and more about my own body, its capacity and limits. I could do much, but one thing that I could do was gathering information about this world I was born in from the conversations I heard in my surroundings. I couldn't do much, but I did learn a bit about my family. First, it seems the naming conventions are different from the ones on earth, like, my mother's name is 'Wide Hope', this is not a normal name, I am certain of it. And when I thought it was a one thing deal, I managed to learn my father's name, 'Bright Road'... He literally had road on his name... I'm a little afraid of the name they put on me because all they have called me to this point is 'Bright', and the thought that the naming convention of this land requires two names makes me really anxious. I want an awesome name beyond Bright. And by the Gods, if my name ends up being Bright Knob, I swear that I will hit someone with a door! If I managed to grab one, of course... And if I get strong enough to do so... okay, maybe not a door, but something hard like a stick! A really HARD stick! Another thing I found interesting was the extreme difference between my mother and father. They are like water and oil, dark and light. My mother, Wide Hope, is a small woman, but I can be certain because I am the smallest thing in the world right now... anyway, she is so kind and wonderful that I am without words to describe her... she is always here, playing with me, holding me, talking to me and is kind and charismatic with everyone. She never leaves my side. Of course, she has the strange purple shade on her skin, but it seems it's normal around here... and her hair is beautiful! I am so entranced by her golden hair that when she picks me up, I try to touch it in a futile attempt at taking some of her golden colors to me... I'm colorless, after all, but I heard someone speaking that my eyes are the same color as my mother's, so they are probably gold too, but I haven't seen it yet by myself. My father, on the other hand, well... he is... special? Ever since I was brought home, I have seen him only one time. He is a big, muscular guy, but, by the clothes he was wearing, he must work in some kind of office. His skin is dark gray and his hair is brown, nothing much flashy. To tell the truth, at first I believed I had a single mother till the guy showed up with his rocky like charisma. I really don't know much about him, but if my mother is with him, he must be a nice guy... right? Who would know that I would be considered a genius? I'm a year old now, and I have developed a fantastic vocabulary, and this has no relation whatsoever with the fact that I have knowledge of my previous life. Unfortunately, I can't walk just yet, but I am developing fast. So I used what I had and crawled everywhere in the house, to a point that my mother had to try to restrain me with small fences, or even locking the crib... kukuku... The poor woman doesn't realize that I am the great escape master! At least as masterful as a one-year-old can be. But I can't help it... before being reborn, I remember being trapped inside my own body for years, incapable of moving even my finger... but now, now I am free. Besides, I have the opportunity to explore the house, and it is gorgeous. It is a one-store house with four bedrooms, two of with are empty, two bathrooms, one kitchen and... a communal place? Living room? I really can't remember the name of the place, but everything is gorgeous and carefully decorated by my mother. After all, I believe that if it were my dad, he would hang a picture of a grain of dirt in the kitchen and call it a day. And about him... well, nothing changed much with him... He is rarely at home, and when he is, he barely looks at me... at first I thought that he hated me, but I know that it is impossible, because I'm an adorable baby. He is just a strange guy. But something really strange happened yesterday when I was practicing my vocabulary in one of the empty rooms when something really strange happened. I was concentrating on my word because even if my mind knows them, the body doesn't follow it flawlessly. So with all my focus, I decided to ask a simple question to no one. Why did I do it? I don't know, it was a feeling or maybe intuition. "AM... I ... ALIVE?" Yes, it was an absolutely dumb question, but what happened next was, without a doubt, fantastical. First, I felt a warm sensation inside me as if an energy was building up and expanding from the core of my being to the tip of the fingers in an explosive movement. And then a metallic voice sounded inside my mind. "YES." My eyes widened, and my body felt heavy and stiff; my mind started to get foggy and as a strong fatigue took over me. What was happening? That was the question ringing on my mind till I reached my own conclusion. The "Divine Connection". 2. The One Who Travel"AM... I ... ALIVE?" Bright spoke with all her might and concentration, trying to pronounce each word as clearly as possible, but she knew that her body wasn't ready for this, even so she decided to try. But, to her surprise, she heard an answer in the form of a strange metallic voice, who simply stated. "YES." Her eyes widened, and her body started to feel heavy and her mind foggy, and she was falling into unconsciousness, she reached the conclusion. * Divine Connection* Bright trotted slowly inside the small saloon, looking around with curiosity at each nook and cranny of the place. It was an interesting architecture, with all the walls made of some kind of dark wood, even the counter where some jugs and mugs stood was of the same material. In the west walls, behind the counter, there was a wall-shelf filled with bottles without labels; in the east wall stood a small fireplace, where a small flame danced to the tune of a performance of what looked like a man that was sitting in the corner of the north wall, playing a guitar beautifully while covering his face with a big black hat. Bright looked around, but even if the place had many colorful tables, there was no soul there beyond her and the strange musician. So, feeling as if she had no choice, she slowly trotted to the stranger to ask for clues to where the Bad-claw gang was. Maybe he could help her with it, as he was brave to stay in the city in the middle of this crisis. With a resolute mind, she slowly trotted to him with a smile on her muzzle. "Hello, traveler, my name's Bright, and I am the sheriff of this little town of Agua Fria. Nice to meet you" Bright made a small bow, something she thought was appropriated when meeting new people. "Care to give me a tiny bit of your time to help me to catch some REALLY evil gang led by Texas Red?" The stranger looked at her, and she saw that his left eye was ogling her with curiosity, and she even believed she saw a small smile opening on the musician's mouth, and then everything got strange. As the saloon that she visited daily to drink a glass of cold milk disappeared in a blink, being replaced by an infinitely large white space. The only things remaining were her and the stranger, who was still sitting on a chair and slowly playing his guitar to a country tune. As Bright's eyes widened in a mixture of wonder and fear, she heard the stranger's laugh loudly, the same way someone would do after hearing the world's biggest joke. Maybe he was in league with Texas Red, if so, she would arrest him too. But before she could ask what sorcery was happening, the stranger spoke. "You know, that's why I love you your kind, so full of life and creativity!" He opened his hand, and the guitar started floating over his head, music still echoing from it." You know, sheriff Bright, I would love to be part of your play here, maybe I could play the role of Texas Red, but you see... we kinda have to talk about some serious matters." "What...?" Bright blinked in confusion and then frowned, she felt as if this traveler didn't make a pinch of sense, he was crazy and probably dangerous..., but she also realized that she would need more than her handcuffs to lock him down. Then the stranger smiled at her again, making her even more uncomfortable. She knew that he understood that she was adamant in arresting him, but before she could pounce on him, he just sighed and raised his hands. "Okay, sheriff, I give up. Please, use your powerful thumbs to get your rope or handcuff, so we can finish this quickly." Bright grinned with the stranger giving up so quickly, she really expected a tavern brawl and would love nothing more than kicking some outlaw bottom, but this way was easy, and she would get the information about Texas Red in a way or another. So she approached the stranger slowly, taking the utmost care, so he wouldn't do any of his sorcery and, without taking her eyes from him, brought her foreleg to her waist and... she stopped, and her eyes widened in realization. 'Why am I horizontal?' Wait, I HAVE HOOVES?' Bright was fearful, she didn't know what was happening and just screamed in pure terror. The stranger seemed as if he was holding another laughter. "WHY I HORSE?" Bright yelled to the stranger, pointing her hoof at him, "YOU DID IT!" "No, I didn't" The floating guitar stopped playing and disappeared in the air, as if made of smoke "Think, little pony, what was the last thing you remember before being here?" "Well, I was training my speech when..." Bright frowned again, for some reason it was hard to think straight, "I heard a strange voice and... Maybe I got a little sleepy?" "So..." The stranger pressed her again while smiling, making her think even harder. "So, I am sleeping...?" "And..." "This is a dream?" Bright eyes shone the light of understanding as the stranger clapped at her, "I AM DREAMING!" "Congratulations, I should give you some price. It's really hard to wake inside the dream, and you did it in your first try" He then whispered to her, in a conspiratorial tone" And I did almost nothing to help!" "Oh, thank you" Bright then made a 'diva' pose before looking the stranger in the eyes, "but... you aren't part of my dream, right?" "No, I am not. I am here to warn you and give you some tool to help you in the future." "Warn?" She was confused,"I don't even know who you are!" As an answer, the stranger signed again, almost as if he knew this subject was coming. "" Look, Bright, I know you, so you don't need to introduce yourself" he stated dryly."Now for me, well, I was called many names, so they don't hold a meaning to me. But if you want one, you can call me traveler. As for HOW I came here, you have a ability called Divine Connection, and I used it to enter your dream " "Wait Traveler... are you...perhaps... A GOD?" This time the traveler didn't manage to hold his composure and laughed hard while Bright stared daggers at him. That wasn't the reaction she expected. "I wish, I am far from omniscient, and I wouldn't dare to be omnipresent... you see, there are many sickos in the world, and there's ..." the Traveler cleaned a tear that fell from his eye, cleared his throat and continued "You know what, let's not talk about it or why I know this kind of thing. The question is that this world is in danger, but maybe the worse can happen." 'This world is in danger...' The Traveler's words hit Bright in the guts, she received the blessing of a second chance, a second life, only for it to steal from her! She wouldn't let it happen, she would pounce on this Traveler and make him explain more... but then she realized that she couldn't move. "I knew you would try to fight me, so I prepared some measures, if you know how to do, the dream realm can be a prefect place to talk with someone... or to change memories or worse" The traveler rose from his chair, that vanish just after, and approached Bright and as he did it, she managed to discern better his features. She couldn't see his face, as if the mouth and eye she saw earlier had just vanished and in its place was nothing beyond a nose, even so he had a male human physic, and he was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans - and the big black hat - and when he got closer she instinctively tried to retreat, but it was for nothing, she still couldn't move. She was truly feeling fear, as if the creature in front of her shouldn't exist. "My time is running short, so I'll be brief. For reasons that you don't need to know, this world will face a terrible fate, but there's seven guardians that might save the day. But 'might' is the key word, so I'm teaching you how to use your gift, not for helping then, but for you to help yourself." "First, your gift is called 'Divine connection', it means that if you concentrate on your words and ask ANY question, it WILL be answered. The amount of energy used changes with the number of words in the answer. More words, more energy, do you get it?" Bright made a connection that that was the reason she felt weak when the voice answered, she used the 'gift' without knowing it, and being in the body of a one-year old didn't help much with energy reserves. "Second, magic exists. If you want to know more, use your gift later." He then raised the third finger"Third, you must live a fulfilling life, okay. If the shit hit the fan, I BELIEVE that you will know what to do" The Traveler raised the fourth finger, and in his featureless face a big smile appeared from nothing."I do not align with harmony or Chaos, neither good nor evil. So I want you to live an interesting life and give me an interesting show, okay. By the way, we will meet one more time, but I really hope it won't happen." Bright tried again to move, but as she made more force to move, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. And as her mind drifted back to the realm of those waken, she faintly heard the Traveler voice once again. "Good luck, and don't screw over!" Bright woke in her crib, sweat dripping from the white tufts that she called hair. It was already night, and it indicated she had slept in that room, someone found her and brought her to her bed. She was anxious to an extreme and her mind, influenced by the emotion in her baby body, made her do the only thing in her mind. Cry. And as tears seeped from her eyes, she mentally revived the talk she had with the Traveler, about her powers, about the danger the world would face and everything. She had a power, maybe she could help those "seven guardians" when the time comes? Maybe she could aid in some way? And as her mind ran amok, her mother entered her room and picked her up. In that instant she managed to calm down a bit, not much. 'What can I do? I NEED to do something!' '̷Y̴o̶u̴ ̵d̴o̸n̴'̶t̶ ̸n̶e̴e̸d̸ ̵t̸o̴ ̸d̸o̷ ̴a̷n̶y̴t̵h̷i̶n̵g̶'̸came a strange voice from within her, and she, for some reason, accepted it. 'I don't need to do anything...' Y̷o̵u̴ ̴o̴n̷l̴y̶ ̶n̶e̸e̴d̵ ̴t̴o̷ ̶g̵r̸o̵w̷ ̴h̴e̸a̷l̶t̶h̵y̶ ̵a̴n̸d̴ ̸l̶i̷v̸e̷ ̸a̴ ̷h̵a̵p̷p̶y̶ ̸l̸i̴f̶e̸.̷.̷.̸ 'I just need to grow healthy and live a happy life, I got a second chance after all... and I got this beautiful family... These guardians can deal with the problem by themselves...' And with this mindset, Bright closed her eyes and stopped crying, leaning her head into her mother's chest. She would enjoy this life. No matter what. Author's Note By the way, if you want to know more about the city of Agua Fria, and the outlaw Texas Red, just put "Big Iron" in the YouTube. The song is a classic. 3. A Glimpse into the PastBright Hope opened a cheered smile while looking in a mirror. For a time she thought her pale appearance was strange or odd, but she soon learned that there are people of all kinds in the world, and she wasn't a unique case where the skin matched the color of the hair. Even so, she stopped a moment to see herself and how much she had grown in the past years. She wasn't a child anymore, she was a woman. A normal girl, yet she knew that behind her golden eyes there were a myriad of secrets, secrets that came with her mysterious powers. The issue she had was with her looks. The fact that her skin and hair were both of a light gray color, a color that was almost white, made her feel odd whenever she was near her friends. She sighed. So many things happened in her life that she couldn't help but look around her room, a place decorated with mementos of everything she loved, and everything she would need to leave behind. A shelf with many toys and some portraits of her and her friends from school, below it was her bed filled to the max with many stuffed animals, mostly dogs and wolves. On the western wall there was her computer and by its side, hanging prideful in the wall, a tomahawk axe she earned in the Buffalo reservation. It's edge was ready for battle, something she would give it sooner than later. She sighed again. Looking with a sad smile to the suitcase where all her essential things were. It was time to close it, and it was painful, yet she knew it was a necessary step. Even so, as if waiting for something to happen, she walked slowly to it, but after the third step she hit something with her feet. When she checked, her eyes widened. It was her old diary, the one she had been writing ever since she was four. So many memories inside, she couldn't contain herself, she took the diary and jumped on the bed amidst the stuffed toys and with the biggest smile she could muster, she dived into the pages. January, 17th of 1998 Um... you know, it is a little strange to write things here, but mommy told me to do it, so I will try. So... Nice to meet you, Mr diary, my name is Bright Hope, but you can call me Brighty, and I am four. My mommy told me to write here because "I'm too smart for my age and should practice writing". Not that I understood much. You see, it's strange because mommy knows that I really like to write stuff, but I prefer drawing. Drawing stars and smiling wolves. The wolves are so cool! If I could, I would love to be a wolf and howl at the moon every night. It would be SO MUCH FUN! I would run through the forest, barking and howling and making friends with everyone, with the bulls, the birds, the trees... but not the penguins. They are evil. ... Anyway, I believe she told me to write because I told her about my friend, Mister Voice. You know, he is really nice... Even if I really don't know if it is a he... Anyway, he is so cool! He always answers any question I have, no matter how strange it is, like where's the cookie jar, where mommy hides my toys or why the sky is blue. The only problem is that I feel a little sleep later. But when I told mommy about Mister Voice, she paled and asked me who he was, and I told her "He's my friend, and he's always with me"; so she took me to the church of sol to talk with a priest. IT WAS SO BORING! The priest even yelled at me because I tried to put a top hat in one of his helpers, I don't understand. Why was he so mad? His helper was sad and needed to smile, so I was helping him! No one is sad wearing a hat! NO ONE! So... mommy talked to him for a time, and he asked me if Mister Voice wanted something from me, and because I didn't know, I asked him, and he said "NO". After this, he said I was free to go and made a prayer over my head. It was strange, and it was really BORING. By the way, mommy's belly is growing, is she getting fat? A tender smiled cropped in Brighty's face when the memories of that day reappeared in her mind. It was funny how the priest and her mother believed she was possessed by some kind of demon. Her father tried for days without end to convince her that she had only an imaginary friend and nothing more, something common for the age. Of course, he was wrong, "Mr. Voice" was... something else entirely, it wasn't a demon, it was something completely different. He was, and still is, is a tool, nothing less nor more, something she can use to gain knowledge about things she couldn't possibly know. Of course, when she was a kid, she didn't know it, and thought that the mechanic voice that answered her question was a friend, when in fact it was a "magical construct of knowledge", a tool that had no will or personality and could only answer questions, nothing more. That was the reason that she stopped calling it "Mister Voice", it was no mister, it was a construct. Then she gave it another name to match it, Rez, because it could only respond to her questions. So, with that in mind, she flipped to a random page. August 10th, 1998 Why are we here? Daddy told us that he was going to work here, and we would need to move to this, town BUT I DON'T LIKE IT! There's only dirty here! And everyone is sad, and everything is dry. Poor horses... There is nothing green for them to eat... WAIT! THEY HAVE HORSES! I LOVE HORSES! WOLVES ARE BETTER BUT YOU CAN RIDE HORSES! I CAN LEARN TO RIDE HORSES! THIS PLACE IS SO COOL! I WANT TO BE A SHERIFF AND RIDE MY WHITE HORSE INTO THE NIGHT TO FIGHT BAD GUYS! I WOULD GO LIKE, PEW! PEW! BEWARE BAD GUYS, IT'S ME, SHERIFF, BRIGHT HOPE! Oh, I almost forgot, I have a little brother now. He is SO CUTE. He is bald and gray, I just can't understand why he is always frowning and HE IS A BABY! Hope frowned a little, it did not matter how many things have changed in those years, not all her dreams came true. Yes, she still wanted to be a sheriff, so much so that she would take the exam to enter the guard's corporation next year in the nearest town, but she never managed to learn how to ride a horse. That was her biggest dream and her biggest failure. The truth was even worse because she was, in fact, terrified by those equines, and no matter how tame the creature looked, every time she was near one of those animals she felt some sort of primal fear that she couldn't control. In her mind, horses were evil. Not on the same level as penguins, but evil nonetheless (Even if the Rez denied those claims). After thinking about the accursed horses, Brighty's mind drifted to the place she hated so much when she was little; Appleloosa. In her mind she found it funny how her opinion of the place changed with the year and how, with the help of her father, she started interacting with the people on the Buffalo's reservation. 'A bunch of fantastic and stubborn people' Bright though, as she remembered how hard it was for her and her family to receive the permission to work inside the Buffalo's tribe lands. Her father, a forest ranger, knew how to talk with the leader of the community and her mother, a teacher, helped with the tribe's education. With time their relationship became so tight that her entire family moved to live inside the reservation, Brighty was even doing middle school with the natives. And as the memory rolled on her mind, she recalled how her mother reacted to her adopting the native's culture. Of course, it was not something that happened from day to night, it was slow but sure. First she learned about their way of life, about the harmony with the mother earth and father sky; then she, in secret, abandoned the faith in the "church of sol" and embraced the "faith of the light", a faith that no native had preached to her but that resonated with her heart. And finally, to her mother's chagrin, she started training with the older guys and gals to be a tribe's hunter. It was not something she did to confront her mother, in fact, this training was something his dad supported. In his words,"A small girl like you needs to know how to defend herself", and she totally agreed. My brother, on the other hand, was always in a bad mood. He never complained to me about it, but she knew how he disliked any type of violence; even so, she found it really entertaining seeing how Gray, the biggest, strongest and meanest looking of all the was such a pacifist. And the fact that he didn't know how to control his strength when sparring with others made everything even funnier. This seemed to warp his perception of things, making him feel as if he had a obligation to help those weaker than him, and giving him a sense of responsibility and responsibility. Of course, if she spoke anything about it to him, he would deny and would only grunt. But this was the way of her 'little' brother. 'The reservation... there was my true home' she thought, her eyes glancing to the axe hanging on the wall, her heart warm with memories.'I learned everything there, from basic math to how to swing an axe and survive a storm...' Her eyes returned to the diary's pages, a nostalgic pain aching in her chest, she wished she could go back to that time. To a time when everything was easy. She pondered a little about her feeling and started flipping her diary's pages, looking for some entry from the time she was living on the reservation. She found it and laughed out loud at its content. December 2nd, 2004 WHY DID IT HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME? MY DAD KNEW I WAS GETTING MYSELF READY TO TAKE ON THE HUNTER'S TEST, TO BE A REAL MEMBER OF THE TRIBE, BUT NOOOO, HE NEEDED TO COME AND 'MAKE FRIENDS' WITH SOME STRANGE FOLKS FROM THAT TOWN AT EAST, AND HE 'NEEDED' TO MAKE A COMPROMISE TO VISIT THEM IN HEARTH WARMING EVE. I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE YOUNGEST GIRLS TO EVER BEAT THE TEST, BUT NOOOOOOO; WE NEEDED TO VISIT THIS 'PIE FAMILY'. NOW IT WILL TAKE A YEAR FOR ME TO TAKE ANOTHER TEXT, AND I AM CERTAIN THAT LITTLE FEATHER WILL PASS THE ONE THIS YEAR. BUT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME! I MAY NOT BE THE BEST ARCHER, BUT I CAN SWING AN AXE BETTER THAN ANYONE, AND, BY GOD, SHE CAN'T EVEN LIFT THE SHIELD! ... No, I must be happy for her. She's my friend, and friends must be there for one another. It is like mom always says: "Nothing happens by chance". Maybe it is not the time for me to take the hunter's text, maybe I'm not ready... And maybe those Pie folks are a good family to pass heart-warming with. But I will not lose time, the codex told me I should learn a little about magic in the meantime, maybe it can be useful in the text next year. 'Little Feather... sometimes I ask myself if I would do well at the test or if we would perform the same way' Brighty frowned, remembering how delicate her friend was and how she had failed the test and how she almost fell from a cliff. Now, with the power of hindsight, Brighty could see that she was being unreasonable and very much prideful. The test was something that even older hunters struggled with and consisted of hunting a predator and taking its fang as a trophy, which meant the task was really dangerous. To make it worse, when her mother learned about what had happened to Little Feather, she prohibited her and Gray from taking the hunter's test. She remembered that when she learned this news, it almost broke her. It took her father and the leader of the tribe to speak to her to take her out of her depressive trance. Her father helped her accept that not everything happens the way we want it to happen, but what hit her the hardest was the leader of the tribe, Chief Sandhorn’s word and action, something she recalls vivid even to this day. Brighty was lying in her bed inside her family's hut, a small but cozy wooden structure at the border of the tribe's village; her eyes were swollen from her tears, and her heart broken from her mother's words. She had no goal nor will, and only wanted to be there, in that dark room lying on her bed. When she was going to just let her own existence continue without purpose, she heard a strong knock at the door. At first, she didn't know it was. Her father and her mother were working at the time; and if she wasn't wrong, gray was trying again to spar with some unlucky kid. But then the knock was heard again, this time stronger and with a deep voice following it. "Bright Hope, open the door." It was not a question, but an affirmation of someone wise and old, and Brighty could only comply. Slowly, she walked to the door and opened it, being instantly confronted by the grandiose visage of chief Sandhorn. Her eyes widened when the enormous old man entered her room with severe eyes and with a strong presence. After some steps inside, he sat on the ground. It was strange, as soon as the wise man entered the place, the room seemed warmer, calmer and the oppressive dark feeling was lifted in the blink of an eye. Besides that, Chief Sandhorn was wearing his ceremonial garments, including the feathery crest on his head. "Bright Hope" Chief Sandhorn spoke again, his voice making Brighty shiver."You cannot take the Hunter's test, and so you can't become one of us..." For a moment, tears started forming in Brighty's eyes, but it stopped when the Chief took his axe, a beautiful ornamented item, and put it on the ground in front of him. "Even so, you are a follower of the Light, and this means you already ARE one of us." The Chief signaled to the girl to sit in front of him."The test is a way for us to honor the light, to show that we can protect our family and our tribe. Your life will inevitably take you away from here, but we will always be connected by the light that lives inside each one of us." Brighty slowly took the axe while contemplating the Chief words, and she looked back at the old man. She felt a hint of pride coming from him. "You trained with us, you lived with us, you are one of us. But this doesn't mean our path is the same. You should learn and adapt, never forget who you are or where you came from. Keep training, and maybe one day, when you can choose your own path, you can take the test by yourself". Sandhorn smiled gently to the girl and said:"You don't need any judge, because the Light is the real judge of our actions." Tears flooded Brighty's eyes, she was proud. She would train, she would be the best, she would protect everyone she loved, and, when time comes, she would take the test by herself with the light as her witness. That was a promise. Brighty smiled as the memory faded away, it has been so long since she met the old Chief, she really missed his guidance and wisdom. Maybe, after she did her "mission" she could travel to the reservation and show him her accomplishments. And it was as her father always told, "Nothing happens by chance". Anyway, it was because of her family's decision to meet the Pie family, she was able to meet a bunch of wonderful people. Not only that, but it became a tradition of sorts in her family to celebrate hearth's warming with them. Of course, she was mad with her parents the first time she traveled to the "rock farm", in the middle of the hills south of the town of Hollow Rock; but after meeting the family, she felt relief. There are all simple and kind, if not a little eccentric people. The patriarch of the house was named Igneous, and he was the one who befriended my father and invited us to spend the holiday, and the matriarch, Miss Cloudy Quartz, was the one in charge of the preparation. Who would believe that a woman as serious as her would have a warmer side? Anyway, beyond the two heads of the family, they had four daughters, and all of them worked at "harvesting" the minerals from the "rock farm" – a place that was full to the brim with rare types of rocks, especially one named rainbow quartz – and tending the small garden they had at the back of the property. Brighty didn't understand much of the reason, but Mister Igneous didn't like to deal with people outside his circle of friends, and it was almost a miracle he had befriended her father. That being said, she forged a wonderful relationship with the Pie's sisters, in special the two oldest, Maud and Limestone; her brother on the other hand befriended rather quickly with the youngest of the bunch, a girl named Marble because of the similarity between their personalities, and he also developed a phobia of pink... because the last of the sister's, Pikamena, who had the same age as Gray and loved to follow him around asking him to party with her. She had too much energy, but Brighty was happy that she got stuck with her brother and not her. He even nicknamed her the "Pink menace". In fact, the two families were so close that Brighty and her brother Gray would be taking care of their house for the next two weeks, and while there Brighty would look to matriculate Gary in one of the schools in Hollow Rock, seeing that her mother stopped teaching at the reservation and Gray wanted to leave to another school. It would only be the two, Brighty and Gray. He would study in the second year of high schools while she would train to become a policewoman. Brighty smiled again and jumped from her bed, some stuffed toys fell to the ground as she happily squeaked in happiness with a almost devilish idea. She quickly ran to the bedroom's door and locked it, and with the same speed she took her axe from the wall and put it in the middle of the suitcase, and then cover it with some random clothes. She would have to go, but why not take her own Hunter's test, having the light as her witness? She was ready, and it would be REALLY fun.
1. The Bright Light of HopeI felt my body falling into an infinite abyss, and as darkness swallowed my entire essence, the void tried to state its claim over my mind and my memory. I didn't know what was happening, as everything felt like a dream. A formless and strange dream where the only thing I could do was to try and resist, in an effort to preserve my own sense of self. Even so, it feels that I failed as I couldn't remember who I was or even what my name was, just flashes and scenes from, what I assumed, was my life. In those flashes, I saw myself bedridden ever since birth with an unknown illness that was eating me from the inside; the desperation of my parents trying to save me, even though it would make them miserable, and I could even speak to them and say to them to give up, that I couldn't bear to see them suffering like that. What were their names again? I can't help it, it seems that, just like my name, I can't remember their names too. It's sad, really. I wish I could be there for them. I wish I could help people as they did to me. Now I understand why I felt as if I was falling, why I can't move, and why everything is this utterly terrifying darkness. I am dead... or dying. It seems I will not become a doctor anymore... As if I ever had a chance... hahaha... And as I was finishing my line of thought, that's when I heard a distinguish sound, something that sounded exactly like the bell sounds from the churches my mother took me to as a child to pray for my cure... and then a metallic voice, not much dissimilar to a computer-generated voice, spoke from the blackness. "Outsider, your path has ended, but for you another life was granted. For your past life, your desires and fears, you received the gift "Divine connection" ". It was very strange because I instantly knew what this "Divine connection" was because, as the voice spoke, many flashes of memories flooded my mind. I remember that, when I was eleven, a doctor told me that it was useless to keep fighting, that my destiny was sealed, and that I would not pass from the age of fifteen... that I should stop with the medication, and that all I would accomplish was to die slower. Worst yet, the other doctors that my family took me to reflect the idea of the first. There was no one I could look after to give me hope, and I fell into despair. But my family couldn't just let me die. They encouraged me to fight back, to never give up, and that, even if we are dammed, we should fight till our last breath no matter what. Because of this I sought refuge in religion, I didn't really enter any cult, churches or whatever, but I was always there for those who wanted to help the unfortunate, no matter the religion or beliefs they had. I was there, but I wanted to do more, even with the crumbling body I had – I always love to help people. But even so, I wanted to ask God, or any higher being, why everything was the way it was. Not that I would change anything. I had marvelous parents that were always there for me, and I resisted the illness much more time than expected... for God's sake, last night I was thirty-three, after all. And this seemed to be what this gift was related to. When I reached this conclusion, a dreadful feeling took over the entirety of my being. What was it? No idea. All I could feel was fear as the surrounding abyss started to crack, letting small rays of blinding light enter. And before I could realize what was happening, I cried. "HOPE, IT'S A GIRL!" A woman wearing a nurse's clothing yelled, hurting my ears and, combining with the blinding lights that were hurting my eyes, made me cry even louder."AND LOOK, SHE LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU!" The nurse then put me in the arms of another woman, it was incredible how this simple act calmed me. I didn't know what was happening, but I had a suspicion that the strange voice I heard while in the void wasn't lying. For God's sake, I could barely move my body, but this was more than I could do for YEARS! I can't deny it, it was really strange being held by the woman I suspect was my mother, but I was hungry and, without thinking much, I started feeding myself while my mother hummed a lullaby, cuddling me tight. It was strange, I was a baby girl, but... Was I a girl before? Or I was a guy? No matter what happened, I couldn't figure out who I was, only shards of information and nothing more. Well, that doesn't matter anymore, and, to tell the truth, I really don't care about it. Anyway, one thing I knew for sure was that my new mother was... different from what I expected. I am pretty sure that people don't normally have light purple skin, but her hair was a beautiful shade of gold. I have no problem with this, it just sounds awesome! But that asks the question, "what color am I?" I need to know! Maybe I am red, the color of fire and courage or maybe my skin is blue like the ocean and calmness... I know! Maybe I am yellow, the color of the sun and kindness! "Kind Heart, you're a terrible liar, you know..." my mother spoke, worry seeping from her voice, "She is..." While I was gorging myself with milk, I felt my new mother's words drill in my mind. Something was wrong, really wrong... maybe my illness came to this new life with me? Or maybe I had some problem with my new body that I couldn't see? Please, woman, talk! "No, this is not a problem. She is healthy, I can guarantee it." "But she has no color... her skin and even its small patch of hair..." Now I understand. I was colorless in a world where everyone had strange and colorful skins... well, it is a boomer, but isn't that big of a deal, right? Of course, I wanted to be beautiful, with the color of the sky and the sun, but, well... beggars can't choose, right? I was given another chance at life with what looked like a healthy body, and this, for me, was fantastic. Even so, I really wanted to be red... Anyway... My line of thoughts made me stop my feeding frenzy so I could look at my mother, only to find that she was looking at me too, and when our eyes met and I saw her beautiful golden gaze, I felt something warm inside. "Can you see it, Hope, she has your eyes and is healthy. Now, please, you need to rest. You just gave birth." "Thanks..." The nurse took me from my mother's hand and with the utmost care took me to the nursery. It seems I will have a long road ahead of me, and it will be so FUN! Well, time really passes when all you can do is eat, sleep, and poop; and my low ability to control my bodily fluids is really annoying. Yes, the diapers really help, but it is annoying nonetheless. Of course, this is not much different from the state I was in my previous life, but now, at least, I can feel my body growing. Anyway, six months had passed. And with time, I started learning more and more about my own body, its capacity and limits. I could do much, but one thing that I could do was gathering information about this world I was born in from the conversations I heard in my surroundings. I couldn't do much, but I did learn a bit about my family. First, it seems the naming conventions are different from the ones on earth, like, my mother's name is 'Wide Hope', this is not a normal name, I am certain of it. And when I thought it was a one thing deal, I managed to learn my father's name, 'Bright Road'... He literally had road on his name... I'm a little afraid of the name they put on me because all they have called me to this point is 'Bright', and the thought that the naming convention of this land requires two names makes me really anxious. I want an awesome name beyond Bright. And by the Gods, if my name ends up being Bright Knob, I swear that I will hit someone with a door! If I managed to grab one, of course... And if I get strong enough to do so... okay, maybe not a door, but something hard like a stick! A really HARD stick! Another thing I found interesting was the extreme difference between my mother and father. They are like water and oil, dark and light. My mother, Wide Hope, is a small woman, but I can be certain because I am the smallest thing in the world right now... anyway, she is so kind and wonderful that I am without words to describe her... she is always here, playing with me, holding me, talking to me and is kind and charismatic with everyone. She never leaves my side. Of course, she has the strange purple shade on her skin, but it seems it's normal around here... and her hair is beautiful! I am so entranced by her golden hair that when she picks me up, I try to touch it in a futile attempt at taking some of her golden colors to me... I'm colorless, after all, but I heard someone speaking that my eyes are the same color as my mother's, so they are probably gold too, but I haven't seen it yet by myself. My father, on the other hand, well... he is... special? Ever since I was brought home, I have seen him only one time. He is a big, muscular guy, but, by the clothes he was wearing, he must work in some kind of office. His skin is dark gray and his hair is brown, nothing much flashy. To tell the truth, at first I believed I had a single mother till the guy showed up with his rocky like charisma. I really don't know much about him, but if my mother is with him, he must be a nice guy... right? Who would know that I would be considered a genius? I'm a year old now, and I have developed a fantastic vocabulary, and this has no relation whatsoever with the fact that I have knowledge of my previous life. Unfortunately, I can't walk just yet, but I am developing fast. So I used what I had and crawled everywhere in the house, to a point that my mother had to try to restrain me with small fences, or even locking the crib... kukuku... The poor woman doesn't realize that I am the great escape master! At least as masterful as a one-year-old can be. But I can't help it... before being reborn, I remember being trapped inside my own body for years, incapable of moving even my finger... but now, now I am free. Besides, I have the opportunity to explore the house, and it is gorgeous. It is a one-store house with four bedrooms, two of with are empty, two bathrooms, one kitchen and... a communal place? Living room? I really can't remember the name of the place, but everything is gorgeous and carefully decorated by my mother. After all, I believe that if it were my dad, he would hang a picture of a grain of dirt in the kitchen and call it a day. And about him... well, nothing changed much with him... He is rarely at home, and when he is, he barely looks at me... at first I thought that he hated me, but I know that it is impossible, because I'm an adorable baby. He is just a strange guy. But something really strange happened yesterday when I was practicing my vocabulary in one of the empty rooms when something really strange happened. I was concentrating on my word because even if my mind knows them, the body doesn't follow it flawlessly. So with all my focus, I decided to ask a simple question to no one. Why did I do it? I don't know, it was a feeling or maybe intuition. "AM... I ... ALIVE?" Yes, it was an absolutely dumb question, but what happened next was, without a doubt, fantastical. First, I felt a warm sensation inside me as if an energy was building up and expanding from the core of my being to the tip of the fingers in an explosive movement. And then a metallic voice sounded inside my mind. "YES." My eyes widened, and my body felt heavy and stiff; my mind started to get foggy and as a strong fatigue took over me. What was happening? That was the question ringing on my mind till I reached my own conclusion. The "Divine Connection".
2. The One Who Travel"AM... I ... ALIVE?" Bright spoke with all her might and concentration, trying to pronounce each word as clearly as possible, but she knew that her body wasn't ready for this, even so she decided to try. But, to her surprise, she heard an answer in the form of a strange metallic voice, who simply stated. "YES." Her eyes widened, and her body started to feel heavy and her mind foggy, and she was falling into unconsciousness, she reached the conclusion. * Divine Connection* Bright trotted slowly inside the small saloon, looking around with curiosity at each nook and cranny of the place. It was an interesting architecture, with all the walls made of some kind of dark wood, even the counter where some jugs and mugs stood was of the same material. In the west walls, behind the counter, there was a wall-shelf filled with bottles without labels; in the east wall stood a small fireplace, where a small flame danced to the tune of a performance of what looked like a man that was sitting in the corner of the north wall, playing a guitar beautifully while covering his face with a big black hat. Bright looked around, but even if the place had many colorful tables, there was no soul there beyond her and the strange musician. So, feeling as if she had no choice, she slowly trotted to the stranger to ask for clues to where the Bad-claw gang was. Maybe he could help her with it, as he was brave to stay in the city in the middle of this crisis. With a resolute mind, she slowly trotted to him with a smile on her muzzle. "Hello, traveler, my name's Bright, and I am the sheriff of this little town of Agua Fria. Nice to meet you" Bright made a small bow, something she thought was appropriated when meeting new people. "Care to give me a tiny bit of your time to help me to catch some REALLY evil gang led by Texas Red?" The stranger looked at her, and she saw that his left eye was ogling her with curiosity, and she even believed she saw a small smile opening on the musician's mouth, and then everything got strange. As the saloon that she visited daily to drink a glass of cold milk disappeared in a blink, being replaced by an infinitely large white space. The only things remaining were her and the stranger, who was still sitting on a chair and slowly playing his guitar to a country tune. As Bright's eyes widened in a mixture of wonder and fear, she heard the stranger's laugh loudly, the same way someone would do after hearing the world's biggest joke. Maybe he was in league with Texas Red, if so, she would arrest him too. But before she could ask what sorcery was happening, the stranger spoke. "You know, that's why I love you your kind, so full of life and creativity!" He opened his hand, and the guitar started floating over his head, music still echoing from it." You know, sheriff Bright, I would love to be part of your play here, maybe I could play the role of Texas Red, but you see... we kinda have to talk about some serious matters." "What...?" Bright blinked in confusion and then frowned, she felt as if this traveler didn't make a pinch of sense, he was crazy and probably dangerous..., but she also realized that she would need more than her handcuffs to lock him down. Then the stranger smiled at her again, making her even more uncomfortable. She knew that he understood that she was adamant in arresting him, but before she could pounce on him, he just sighed and raised his hands. "Okay, sheriff, I give up. Please, use your powerful thumbs to get your rope or handcuff, so we can finish this quickly." Bright grinned with the stranger giving up so quickly, she really expected a tavern brawl and would love nothing more than kicking some outlaw bottom, but this way was easy, and she would get the information about Texas Red in a way or another. So she approached the stranger slowly, taking the utmost care, so he wouldn't do any of his sorcery and, without taking her eyes from him, brought her foreleg to her waist and... she stopped, and her eyes widened in realization. 'Why am I horizontal?' Wait, I HAVE HOOVES?' Bright was fearful, she didn't know what was happening and just screamed in pure terror. The stranger seemed as if he was holding another laughter. "WHY I HORSE?" Bright yelled to the stranger, pointing her hoof at him, "YOU DID IT!" "No, I didn't" The floating guitar stopped playing and disappeared in the air, as if made of smoke "Think, little pony, what was the last thing you remember before being here?" "Well, I was training my speech when..." Bright frowned again, for some reason it was hard to think straight, "I heard a strange voice and... Maybe I got a little sleepy?" "So..." The stranger pressed her again while smiling, making her think even harder. "So, I am sleeping...?" "And..." "This is a dream?" Bright eyes shone the light of understanding as the stranger clapped at her, "I AM DREAMING!" "Congratulations, I should give you some price. It's really hard to wake inside the dream, and you did it in your first try" He then whispered to her, in a conspiratorial tone" And I did almost nothing to help!" "Oh, thank you" Bright then made a 'diva' pose before looking the stranger in the eyes, "but... you aren't part of my dream, right?" "No, I am not. I am here to warn you and give you some tool to help you in the future." "Warn?" She was confused,"I don't even know who you are!" As an answer, the stranger signed again, almost as if he knew this subject was coming. "" Look, Bright, I know you, so you don't need to introduce yourself" he stated dryly."Now for me, well, I was called many names, so they don't hold a meaning to me. But if you want one, you can call me traveler. As for HOW I came here, you have a ability called Divine Connection, and I used it to enter your dream " "Wait Traveler... are you...perhaps... A GOD?" This time the traveler didn't manage to hold his composure and laughed hard while Bright stared daggers at him. That wasn't the reaction she expected. "I wish, I am far from omniscient, and I wouldn't dare to be omnipresent... you see, there are many sickos in the world, and there's ..." the Traveler cleaned a tear that fell from his eye, cleared his throat and continued "You know what, let's not talk about it or why I know this kind of thing. The question is that this world is in danger, but maybe the worse can happen." 'This world is in danger...' The Traveler's words hit Bright in the guts, she received the blessing of a second chance, a second life, only for it to steal from her! She wouldn't let it happen, she would pounce on this Traveler and make him explain more... but then she realized that she couldn't move. "I knew you would try to fight me, so I prepared some measures, if you know how to do, the dream realm can be a prefect place to talk with someone... or to change memories or worse" The traveler rose from his chair, that vanish just after, and approached Bright and as he did it, she managed to discern better his features. She couldn't see his face, as if the mouth and eye she saw earlier had just vanished and in its place was nothing beyond a nose, even so he had a male human physic, and he was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans - and the big black hat - and when he got closer she instinctively tried to retreat, but it was for nothing, she still couldn't move. She was truly feeling fear, as if the creature in front of her shouldn't exist. "My time is running short, so I'll be brief. For reasons that you don't need to know, this world will face a terrible fate, but there's seven guardians that might save the day. But 'might' is the key word, so I'm teaching you how to use your gift, not for helping then, but for you to help yourself." "First, your gift is called 'Divine connection', it means that if you concentrate on your words and ask ANY question, it WILL be answered. The amount of energy used changes with the number of words in the answer. More words, more energy, do you get it?" Bright made a connection that that was the reason she felt weak when the voice answered, she used the 'gift' without knowing it, and being in the body of a one-year old didn't help much with energy reserves. "Second, magic exists. If you want to know more, use your gift later." He then raised the third finger"Third, you must live a fulfilling life, okay. If the shit hit the fan, I BELIEVE that you will know what to do" The Traveler raised the fourth finger, and in his featureless face a big smile appeared from nothing."I do not align with harmony or Chaos, neither good nor evil. So I want you to live an interesting life and give me an interesting show, okay. By the way, we will meet one more time, but I really hope it won't happen." Bright tried again to move, but as she made more force to move, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. And as her mind drifted back to the realm of those waken, she faintly heard the Traveler voice once again. "Good luck, and don't screw over!" Bright woke in her crib, sweat dripping from the white tufts that she called hair. It was already night, and it indicated she had slept in that room, someone found her and brought her to her bed. She was anxious to an extreme and her mind, influenced by the emotion in her baby body, made her do the only thing in her mind. Cry. And as tears seeped from her eyes, she mentally revived the talk she had with the Traveler, about her powers, about the danger the world would face and everything. She had a power, maybe she could help those "seven guardians" when the time comes? Maybe she could aid in some way? And as her mind ran amok, her mother entered her room and picked her up. In that instant she managed to calm down a bit, not much. 'What can I do? I NEED to do something!' '̷Y̴o̶u̴ ̵d̴o̸n̴'̶t̶ ̸n̶e̴e̸d̸ ̵t̸o̴ ̸d̸o̷ ̴a̷n̶y̴t̵h̷i̶n̵g̶'̸came a strange voice from within her, and she, for some reason, accepted it. 'I don't need to do anything...' Y̷o̵u̴ ̴o̴n̷l̴y̶ ̶n̶e̸e̴d̵ ̴t̴o̷ ̶g̵r̸o̵w̷ ̴h̴e̸a̷l̶t̶h̵y̶ ̵a̴n̸d̴ ̸l̶i̷v̸e̷ ̸a̴ ̷h̵a̵p̷p̶y̶ ̸l̸i̴f̶e̸.̷.̷.̸ 'I just need to grow healthy and live a happy life, I got a second chance after all... and I got this beautiful family... These guardians can deal with the problem by themselves...' And with this mindset, Bright closed her eyes and stopped crying, leaning her head into her mother's chest. She would enjoy this life. No matter what. Author's Note By the way, if you want to know more about the city of Agua Fria, and the outlaw Texas Red, just put "Big Iron" in the YouTube. The song is a classic.
3. A Glimpse into the PastBright Hope opened a cheered smile while looking in a mirror. For a time she thought her pale appearance was strange or odd, but she soon learned that there are people of all kinds in the world, and she wasn't a unique case where the skin matched the color of the hair. Even so, she stopped a moment to see herself and how much she had grown in the past years. She wasn't a child anymore, she was a woman. A normal girl, yet she knew that behind her golden eyes there were a myriad of secrets, secrets that came with her mysterious powers. The issue she had was with her looks. The fact that her skin and hair were both of a light gray color, a color that was almost white, made her feel odd whenever she was near her friends. She sighed. So many things happened in her life that she couldn't help but look around her room, a place decorated with mementos of everything she loved, and everything she would need to leave behind. A shelf with many toys and some portraits of her and her friends from school, below it was her bed filled to the max with many stuffed animals, mostly dogs and wolves. On the western wall there was her computer and by its side, hanging prideful in the wall, a tomahawk axe she earned in the Buffalo reservation. It's edge was ready for battle, something she would give it sooner than later. She sighed again. Looking with a sad smile to the suitcase where all her essential things were. It was time to close it, and it was painful, yet she knew it was a necessary step. Even so, as if waiting for something to happen, she walked slowly to it, but after the third step she hit something with her feet. When she checked, her eyes widened. It was her old diary, the one she had been writing ever since she was four. So many memories inside, she couldn't contain herself, she took the diary and jumped on the bed amidst the stuffed toys and with the biggest smile she could muster, she dived into the pages. January, 17th of 1998 Um... you know, it is a little strange to write things here, but mommy told me to do it, so I will try. So... Nice to meet you, Mr diary, my name is Bright Hope, but you can call me Brighty, and I am four. My mommy told me to write here because "I'm too smart for my age and should practice writing". Not that I understood much. You see, it's strange because mommy knows that I really like to write stuff, but I prefer drawing. Drawing stars and smiling wolves. The wolves are so cool! If I could, I would love to be a wolf and howl at the moon every night. It would be SO MUCH FUN! I would run through the forest, barking and howling and making friends with everyone, with the bulls, the birds, the trees... but not the penguins. They are evil. ... Anyway, I believe she told me to write because I told her about my friend, Mister Voice. You know, he is really nice... Even if I really don't know if it is a he... Anyway, he is so cool! He always answers any question I have, no matter how strange it is, like where's the cookie jar, where mommy hides my toys or why the sky is blue. The only problem is that I feel a little sleep later. But when I told mommy about Mister Voice, she paled and asked me who he was, and I told her "He's my friend, and he's always with me"; so she took me to the church of sol to talk with a priest. IT WAS SO BORING! The priest even yelled at me because I tried to put a top hat in one of his helpers, I don't understand. Why was he so mad? His helper was sad and needed to smile, so I was helping him! No one is sad wearing a hat! NO ONE! So... mommy talked to him for a time, and he asked me if Mister Voice wanted something from me, and because I didn't know, I asked him, and he said "NO". After this, he said I was free to go and made a prayer over my head. It was strange, and it was really BORING. By the way, mommy's belly is growing, is she getting fat? A tender smiled cropped in Brighty's face when the memories of that day reappeared in her mind. It was funny how the priest and her mother believed she was possessed by some kind of demon. Her father tried for days without end to convince her that she had only an imaginary friend and nothing more, something common for the age. Of course, he was wrong, "Mr. Voice" was... something else entirely, it wasn't a demon, it was something completely different. He was, and still is, is a tool, nothing less nor more, something she can use to gain knowledge about things she couldn't possibly know. Of course, when she was a kid, she didn't know it, and thought that the mechanic voice that answered her question was a friend, when in fact it was a "magical construct of knowledge", a tool that had no will or personality and could only answer questions, nothing more. That was the reason that she stopped calling it "Mister Voice", it was no mister, it was a construct. Then she gave it another name to match it, Rez, because it could only respond to her questions. So, with that in mind, she flipped to a random page. August 10th, 1998 Why are we here? Daddy told us that he was going to work here, and we would need to move to this, town BUT I DON'T LIKE IT! There's only dirty here! And everyone is sad, and everything is dry. Poor horses... There is nothing green for them to eat... WAIT! THEY HAVE HORSES! I LOVE HORSES! WOLVES ARE BETTER BUT YOU CAN RIDE HORSES! I CAN LEARN TO RIDE HORSES! THIS PLACE IS SO COOL! I WANT TO BE A SHERIFF AND RIDE MY WHITE HORSE INTO THE NIGHT TO FIGHT BAD GUYS! I WOULD GO LIKE, PEW! PEW! BEWARE BAD GUYS, IT'S ME, SHERIFF, BRIGHT HOPE! Oh, I almost forgot, I have a little brother now. He is SO CUTE. He is bald and gray, I just can't understand why he is always frowning and HE IS A BABY! Hope frowned a little, it did not matter how many things have changed in those years, not all her dreams came true. Yes, she still wanted to be a sheriff, so much so that she would take the exam to enter the guard's corporation next year in the nearest town, but she never managed to learn how to ride a horse. That was her biggest dream and her biggest failure. The truth was even worse because she was, in fact, terrified by those equines, and no matter how tame the creature looked, every time she was near one of those animals she felt some sort of primal fear that she couldn't control. In her mind, horses were evil. Not on the same level as penguins, but evil nonetheless (Even if the Rez denied those claims). After thinking about the accursed horses, Brighty's mind drifted to the place she hated so much when she was little; Appleloosa. In her mind she found it funny how her opinion of the place changed with the year and how, with the help of her father, she started interacting with the people on the Buffalo's reservation. 'A bunch of fantastic and stubborn people' Bright though, as she remembered how hard it was for her and her family to receive the permission to work inside the Buffalo's tribe lands. Her father, a forest ranger, knew how to talk with the leader of the community and her mother, a teacher, helped with the tribe's education. With time their relationship became so tight that her entire family moved to live inside the reservation, Brighty was even doing middle school with the natives. And as the memory rolled on her mind, she recalled how her mother reacted to her adopting the native's culture. Of course, it was not something that happened from day to night, it was slow but sure. First she learned about their way of life, about the harmony with the mother earth and father sky; then she, in secret, abandoned the faith in the "church of sol" and embraced the "faith of the light", a faith that no native had preached to her but that resonated with her heart. And finally, to her mother's chagrin, she started training with the older guys and gals to be a tribe's hunter. It was not something she did to confront her mother, in fact, this training was something his dad supported. In his words,"A small girl like you needs to know how to defend herself", and she totally agreed. My brother, on the other hand, was always in a bad mood. He never complained to me about it, but she knew how he disliked any type of violence; even so, she found it really entertaining seeing how Gray, the biggest, strongest and meanest looking of all the was such a pacifist. And the fact that he didn't know how to control his strength when sparring with others made everything even funnier. This seemed to warp his perception of things, making him feel as if he had a obligation to help those weaker than him, and giving him a sense of responsibility and responsibility. Of course, if she spoke anything about it to him, he would deny and would only grunt. But this was the way of her 'little' brother. 'The reservation... there was my true home' she thought, her eyes glancing to the axe hanging on the wall, her heart warm with memories.'I learned everything there, from basic math to how to swing an axe and survive a storm...' Her eyes returned to the diary's pages, a nostalgic pain aching in her chest, she wished she could go back to that time. To a time when everything was easy. She pondered a little about her feeling and started flipping her diary's pages, looking for some entry from the time she was living on the reservation. She found it and laughed out loud at its content. December 2nd, 2004 WHY DID IT HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME? MY DAD KNEW I WAS GETTING MYSELF READY TO TAKE ON THE HUNTER'S TEST, TO BE A REAL MEMBER OF THE TRIBE, BUT NOOOO, HE NEEDED TO COME AND 'MAKE FRIENDS' WITH SOME STRANGE FOLKS FROM THAT TOWN AT EAST, AND HE 'NEEDED' TO MAKE A COMPROMISE TO VISIT THEM IN HEARTH WARMING EVE. I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE YOUNGEST GIRLS TO EVER BEAT THE TEST, BUT NOOOOOOO; WE NEEDED TO VISIT THIS 'PIE FAMILY'. NOW IT WILL TAKE A YEAR FOR ME TO TAKE ANOTHER TEXT, AND I AM CERTAIN THAT LITTLE FEATHER WILL PASS THE ONE THIS YEAR. BUT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME! I MAY NOT BE THE BEST ARCHER, BUT I CAN SWING AN AXE BETTER THAN ANYONE, AND, BY GOD, SHE CAN'T EVEN LIFT THE SHIELD! ... No, I must be happy for her. She's my friend, and friends must be there for one another. It is like mom always says: "Nothing happens by chance". Maybe it is not the time for me to take the hunter's text, maybe I'm not ready... And maybe those Pie folks are a good family to pass heart-warming with. But I will not lose time, the codex told me I should learn a little about magic in the meantime, maybe it can be useful in the text next year. 'Little Feather... sometimes I ask myself if I would do well at the test or if we would perform the same way' Brighty frowned, remembering how delicate her friend was and how she had failed the test and how she almost fell from a cliff. Now, with the power of hindsight, Brighty could see that she was being unreasonable and very much prideful. The test was something that even older hunters struggled with and consisted of hunting a predator and taking its fang as a trophy, which meant the task was really dangerous. To make it worse, when her mother learned about what had happened to Little Feather, she prohibited her and Gray from taking the hunter's test. She remembered that when she learned this news, it almost broke her. It took her father and the leader of the tribe to speak to her to take her out of her depressive trance. Her father helped her accept that not everything happens the way we want it to happen, but what hit her the hardest was the leader of the tribe, Chief Sandhorn’s word and action, something she recalls vivid even to this day. Brighty was lying in her bed inside her family's hut, a small but cozy wooden structure at the border of the tribe's village; her eyes were swollen from her tears, and her heart broken from her mother's words. She had no goal nor will, and only wanted to be there, in that dark room lying on her bed. When she was going to just let her own existence continue without purpose, she heard a strong knock at the door. At first, she didn't know it was. Her father and her mother were working at the time; and if she wasn't wrong, gray was trying again to spar with some unlucky kid. But then the knock was heard again, this time stronger and with a deep voice following it. "Bright Hope, open the door." It was not a question, but an affirmation of someone wise and old, and Brighty could only comply. Slowly, she walked to the door and opened it, being instantly confronted by the grandiose visage of chief Sandhorn. Her eyes widened when the enormous old man entered her room with severe eyes and with a strong presence. After some steps inside, he sat on the ground. It was strange, as soon as the wise man entered the place, the room seemed warmer, calmer and the oppressive dark feeling was lifted in the blink of an eye. Besides that, Chief Sandhorn was wearing his ceremonial garments, including the feathery crest on his head. "Bright Hope" Chief Sandhorn spoke again, his voice making Brighty shiver."You cannot take the Hunter's test, and so you can't become one of us..." For a moment, tears started forming in Brighty's eyes, but it stopped when the Chief took his axe, a beautiful ornamented item, and put it on the ground in front of him. "Even so, you are a follower of the Light, and this means you already ARE one of us." The Chief signaled to the girl to sit in front of him."The test is a way for us to honor the light, to show that we can protect our family and our tribe. Your life will inevitably take you away from here, but we will always be connected by the light that lives inside each one of us." Brighty slowly took the axe while contemplating the Chief words, and she looked back at the old man. She felt a hint of pride coming from him. "You trained with us, you lived with us, you are one of us. But this doesn't mean our path is the same. You should learn and adapt, never forget who you are or where you came from. Keep training, and maybe one day, when you can choose your own path, you can take the test by yourself". Sandhorn smiled gently to the girl and said:"You don't need any judge, because the Light is the real judge of our actions." Tears flooded Brighty's eyes, she was proud. She would train, she would be the best, she would protect everyone she loved, and, when time comes, she would take the test by herself with the light as her witness. That was a promise. Brighty smiled as the memory faded away, it has been so long since she met the old Chief, she really missed his guidance and wisdom. Maybe, after she did her "mission" she could travel to the reservation and show him her accomplishments. And it was as her father always told, "Nothing happens by chance". Anyway, it was because of her family's decision to meet the Pie family, she was able to meet a bunch of wonderful people. Not only that, but it became a tradition of sorts in her family to celebrate hearth's warming with them. Of course, she was mad with her parents the first time she traveled to the "rock farm", in the middle of the hills south of the town of Hollow Rock; but after meeting the family, she felt relief. There are all simple and kind, if not a little eccentric people. The patriarch of the house was named Igneous, and he was the one who befriended my father and invited us to spend the holiday, and the matriarch, Miss Cloudy Quartz, was the one in charge of the preparation. Who would believe that a woman as serious as her would have a warmer side? Anyway, beyond the two heads of the family, they had four daughters, and all of them worked at "harvesting" the minerals from the "rock farm" – a place that was full to the brim with rare types of rocks, especially one named rainbow quartz – and tending the small garden they had at the back of the property. Brighty didn't understand much of the reason, but Mister Igneous didn't like to deal with people outside his circle of friends, and it was almost a miracle he had befriended her father. That being said, she forged a wonderful relationship with the Pie's sisters, in special the two oldest, Maud and Limestone; her brother on the other hand befriended rather quickly with the youngest of the bunch, a girl named Marble because of the similarity between their personalities, and he also developed a phobia of pink... because the last of the sister's, Pikamena, who had the same age as Gray and loved to follow him around asking him to party with her. She had too much energy, but Brighty was happy that she got stuck with her brother and not her. He even nicknamed her the "Pink menace". In fact, the two families were so close that Brighty and her brother Gray would be taking care of their house for the next two weeks, and while there Brighty would look to matriculate Gary in one of the schools in Hollow Rock, seeing that her mother stopped teaching at the reservation and Gray wanted to leave to another school. It would only be the two, Brighty and Gray. He would study in the second year of high schools while she would train to become a policewoman. Brighty smiled again and jumped from her bed, some stuffed toys fell to the ground as she happily squeaked in happiness with a almost devilish idea. She quickly ran to the bedroom's door and locked it, and with the same speed she took her axe from the wall and put it in the middle of the suitcase, and then cover it with some random clothes. She would have to go, but why not take her own Hunter's test, having the light as her witness? She was ready, and it would be REALLY fun.
