Savage POV

And here we were again. Our herd, our two wings, again not completed. Crystal went off to find Velvet Remedy while I, Blueberry and Zitrus, were travelling on our own.

Three days had passed since we split up and we were still some days of walking away from the old zebra facility. I actually didn't get why it was so important to fulfill this task. What is the worst that can happen? The facility was in the middle of nowhere, and by the time the poison reached an inhabited village, it would have been taken care of by nature itself. Sure, some fishes might die, but was it so bad that we had to rush there right away and Zitrus might have to put his life in danger? Who knew if this old security system truly would not attack earth ponies? Or something else might happen. Entering a building filled with poison and able to break in any moment was dangerous enough itself.

But Zitrus said, we would only take a look. I could just hope it would stay that way. I didn't want him going into life threatening danger all by himself.

We were walking along a mountain range. It would have been a bit faster if we just tried to cross it, but Zitrus wanted to go around for some reason. He had said that crystal would know why we walked around if she caught up to us.

I looked around. We walked on a prewar road but beside that, this place was the definition of nowhere. Besides the mountains, it was completely flat. Nothing interesting to look at except some stones, lonely groups of trees or bushes.

“Oh look. There is something”, Zitrus said suddenly.

And really, on the horizon something appeared. It seemed to be a building from the form, but it was too early to say. But the road was going next to it so we soon would find out what it was.

And the closer we got, the more my theory was confirmed. It was just an old building. It seemed like it was some sort of rest stop. For all of the ponies who went along this road long long ago. It had parking spaces for carts and coaches and many windows in the direction of the street. But after all these years the whole building looked sadder.

It was a one story building. With strong walls that had the paint peeling off, and a wooden roof. It was not big. At least not from the outside. The windows were all shut.

I didn’t know why but the sight of this old building… it triggered something in me. Not the same as with the raider camp. It was something different…

“Pretty old shack. It has most likely been abandoned for a very long time. We could spend the night here. It is getting late anyways”, Zitrus suggested.

“Are you sure? It is only afternoon. We could walk a bit more and then set up the tents. Might be better than to spend it in this dusty place”, Blueberry meant.

“We will spend the night here”, I said without looking at the two of them.

I could not take my eyes off this old building. Then, without saying more or waiting for objections, I walked past the two and to the side of the rest area, where the entrance was. A big heavy wooden door. Not inviting but solid.

Zitrus tried to open the door, but it didn’t move even a little.

“Closed. Guess we have to use the good old, breaking and entering method”, Zitrus laughed.

I walked forward like I was in a trance. I rudely pushed Zitrus away from the entry. He gave an offended “Hey!” but I did not really listen. I looked at the old wood, like it held some sort of secret for me. I lit up my horn and lifted a random stone that was lying close by. And much to the surprise of Zitrus and Blueberry, there was a key.

“How did you know?”, Blueberry asked.

But I did not answer. I just took the key with my magic and put it in the keyhole. Two turns and the door gave a “click”. And with a heavy push from my front leg, it swung open.

I entered the place. Zitrus and Blueberry right behind me. But it wasn't like I paid much attention to them. I was too focused on everything around me.

It was dark in there ,but I could still see that we were in the lobby, which was also the dining room. It had tables, chairs, an old chimney and behind one door was a small but nice kitchen. The rest of the doors would lead to the different rest rooms.

Without even choosing, I opened one of the doors. Inside, the room looked like some ponies had once lived there. A closet, half opened and showing the clothing inside, two beds, one big and one small, bedside tables, that even still had a book open on it on it right next to a gun, toys laying on the floor… and everything was covered in a thin layer of dust…

When I looked around this room, I felt so many emotions in me and still empty at the same time. There was nothing else at the moment. Only me, this place and all the memories that came along with it…

“Where are we?”, I heard Blueberry ask. She was right next to me and still she sounded so far away.

“Sh, don’t disturb her.”

There was also Zitrus' voice. Quieter but somehow more present to me. It got me halfway out of my trance.

“You knew about this place, didn’t you?”, I asked.

I did not turn my head when talking to Zitrus. But I did not have to. I already knew the answer.

“Yes I did”, I heard Zitrus say. “You told me about it when you escaped stable 24. You were still under the influence of the gas. The gas that gave us the memories of our foalhood. You thought you were a unicorn and got captured by some alicorns. That was the reason why I took you in my tent, away from Blueberry and Crystal. You then told me about this area. An empty rest place in the middle of nowhere, next to this mountain range. The place where you live with your parents…”

I still did not look at Blueberry or Zitrus, but I knew that he told the truth.

“I remember that I talked to you, Zitrus. When we were in your tent because I was scared of Blueberry and Crystal. Because in my mind I was just a unicorn then. a small unicorn filly…

I told you about this place, Zitrus, because you were the only pony I could trust at that moment. The only pony who maybe could bring me home before, whatever these two evil alicorns would do to me…”, I remembered.

“Wait, because of the gas, you thought you were a unicorn filly without any memories of who we are? Was that the reason why you were resisting so much against me and Crystal?”, Blueberry asked.

“The gas from stable 24 removed your memories and left you with only the memories of your foalhood”, I said.

Blueberry gave a nod. “That I know.”

For the first time since I entered this building, I looked at Blueberry and Zitrus.

“But alicorns were not born as alicorns. We once were unicorns. Turned into alicorns by the Goddess. So, the gas removed all the memories from when I was an alicorn and only left me with my unicorn memories.”

I gave a small ironic chuckle before looking around the room again.

“Maybe I should be thankful for the gas. Most likely I would have never gotten these memories back…”

Blueberry came right next to my side and used her magic to pick up a model air ship. For some reason, I disliked that she did that. It was like messing around with this perfect room of memories.

“So, this is the place where-“

“Yes, this is the place where I lived as a foal. Before I became an alicorn. Before I joined the Unity… forcefully”, I said and ripped the airship out of her magic grip.

“What happened?”

It was Zitrus this time who spoke and came up to my other side.

I gave a heavy sigh and looked at my airship model.

“I grew up here with my parents. My father was a pegasus and my mother a unicorn. They both still had memories of Equestria before the big war that gave us this wasteland afterwards. They had me as their only foal. A unicorn filly with blue fur and a purple mane that had a streak of snow white in it. That was the reason why they gave me the name Edelweiss.

I grew up here in this old rest area. My parents wanted to raise me in a safe place, so they made this remote place their home.

One day I was playing with my father outside. My mother was not there. Most likely she was searching for food. Then three alicorns appeared… It all happened so fast from then… My parents told me stories about this new mutated alicorn race and how dangerous they were. So, just in case, my father always had his gun with him. But on that day, he didn’t…”

My eyes fell on the dusty gun. Laying on the bedside table like it was its rightful place.

“Not like it would have stopped them. He told me to run away. And I did… I didn’t turn around. When I heard the sound of my father getting hit by a magical power spell I dared to look back. But he was already dead… So, I tried to run faster. But a filly had no chance against three tall alicorns with wings. They caught me pretty fast. I tried to resist but it was no use.

I didn’t know what they were going to do to me. I was just scared. Really scared. They foalnapped me and took me to Maripony, the place where the Goddess was. And there I was turned into an alicorn.”

I whiped a tear from my eye, and I placed the airship back in its' original spot. Bbut the dust had already fallen off the toy and the room was no longer the same. But maybe it was for the better. This room was something from my past. Nothing in here lived anywhere except in my memories. And it was better if I didn't try to hang on to it any longer.

I was sitting with Zitrus on the roof of the rest area and looking forward over the landscape. The sun was slowly going down and painted the sky in wonderful orange. Blueberry was not here. I wanted to talk with Zitrus myself.

“I am sorry that I brought you here and confronted you with these old memories”, Zitrus said without me mentioning anything.

“It’s alright. I am kind of grateful that you did”, I sighed. “But I wonder why you did. What was the goal you had in mind when you brought me here?”

“Because this place might help you with your... split personality”, Zitrus explained. “After Stable 24 you told me about your past. About Edelweiss. And it explained kind of a lot to me.”

Zitrus turned his head from the sunset and looked at me.

“Your life, your personality, your will, everything about you suddenly changed when you became an alicorn. Suddenly you were a part of the Goddess without any access to your past. And that for many many years.

I think all that made it hard for you to know who the real you is. And after Alicornia and the slaver camp, it showed to me how hard it is for you to stick to one personality. Being torn between Edelweiss, the Unity Savage and the current you.”

I didn’t respond right away. I watched as the sun slowly set beyond the horizon. The sky slowly turning a shade of purple.

“What that your plan from the beginning? To come here after the Bewitching Bell?”, I asked Zitrus.

He gave a nod.

“The Bewitching Bell was to find out who you want to be. But I told you then that we will work on your split personality. So, I also planned to come here right after. In the hope that this might help you, and maybe answer some questions.”

“It did. And I think it will help me”, I agreed.

I wrapped my wing around the fire maned stallion and held him close to my side. He nuzzled my neck and smelled on my mane. For a moment it was just us again. Us and the landscape.

"You said that your mother was not there when your father got killed and you got foalnapped. Do you know what happened to her?”, Zitrus broke the silence.

I shook my head.

“No. I never saw her again, so I assume she never got found by the alicorns. She might have the most brutal part. Suddenly, her husband was dead and her filly gone. Most likely she had spent her whole life looking for me. But she now must be dead. Too many years have passed for her to still be alive. I would have also died of old age by now if I wasn't an alicorn. I am already over one hundred years old... Nearly two hundred…”

“Such an old marefriend I have?”, Zitrus chuckled in hopes of lightening the mood.

“Don’t see me as old. Nor see me as a filly like when I was a unicorn. I have still aged since then. I have seen and learned a lot. I don’t know what age you could give me, but I am definitely not a filly anymore. Like you said, that was an old part of me. See me as the alicorn you always saw me as”, I said and kissed Zitrus on the head.

Together, we watched as the few sunbeams disappeared below the horizon.

“You know, Crystal seemed to once have the name Hope”, I suddenly said. “Maybe I should give myself a new name too. Since savage does not fit me anymore. Nor would it describe me very well.”

“Oh? And what do you want to name yourself then?”, Zitrus asked.

“Horizon.”

Author's Note

Here have a little fanart from a friend of mine. Thank you, a lot, for doing such.

We also begin to reach the final chapters. With also leads that it needs an ending. I have three possible endings and I let you all choose. Vote for the ending you prefer the most and I will write it.
A) Zitrus dies
B) The alicorns die
C) Noone dies

Take note, that each of the possible endings is unique.