All the Right Questions...

“You wanna know about what, lad?” Rockhoof asked.

“Strength,” Stygian replied simply. “As strategist, it is important—”

“Haha!” Rockhoof slapped Stygian on the back, nearly toppling the smaller stallion. “Aye don’t need some harebrained reasoning for a simple question!”

“I prefer to be upfront with my reasons,” Stygian said.

“Aye’m a simple stallion, Styg. Aye like my questions to the point. Speaking of, Strength is simple. Tis the not the size of the pony, but the size of their heart.”

“...Could you elaborate?”

“It’s important to be able to take the hard hits, but more so the emotional ones. The Strength to carry on past any heartache that might threaten to end you. Does that help?”

“It does.” Stygian pointed toward Rockhoof’s shovel. “Would you like me to clean your shovel?”

“My shovel?” Rockhoof looked toward his weapon and winced. “Aye, it be lookin’ worse for wear. Would ‘preciate the offer.”

“Then allow me.” Stygian grabbed the shovel in his magic. “Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.”

“Anytime, lad. Anytime.”

“What Healing means to me?” Meadowbrook asked.

“Yes,” Stygian replied. “I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter.”

She hummed in thought.

“I suppose it’s to bring about more good down the line,” she said.

“How so?”

“Well… Suppose I healed a wilted flower. That doesn’t seem to be a worthwhile use of time, yes?” Stygian nodded. “But, that plant can provide a lot more good to others now than before.”

“Like?”

“It could be food for a traveler. Inspire someone. Maybe even be the necessary ingredient to a lifesaving medicine.” Meadowbrook smiled. “It’s how I show care for the world and pass it to those that I may never meet.”

“...Interesting.” Stygian gestured toward her mask. “Would you like me to touch up the paint on your mask?”

She glanced down at the mask by her hooves.

“Oh! The paint is looking quite chipped,” Meadowbrook said. “You don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Stygian replied.

“Then yes, please. Thank you so much, Styg.”

“It really comes down to an old cliché; Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Mistamane said.

“A rather common phrase,” Stygian said.

“And a correct one. Many focus on outward beauty while ignoring what’s underneath. A gorgeous pony could be a monster in disguise, while a monster could have a heart of gold.”

“Then Beauty lies in a pony’s heart?”

“Yes, exactly!”

“How insightful,” Stygian remarked. “Your orchid looks rather wilted. Would you like me to bring it to my sunnier clearing for a while?”

“Oh my, that would be very helpful, thank you.”

“No, thank you for the enlightening words.”

“Well, then you’re welcome. Glad to hear you found meaning in this old nag’s chattering. Have a lovely day, Styg.”

“It’s about never giving up, even when it seems assured that you will lose,” Somnumbula explained. “You never know when sheer luck may deliver you victory from the clutches of supposed defeat.”

“Is that not naive?” Stygian asked.

“Not at all! Those that give up halfway never see the true results of their efforts. If you only run as far as you want, you will never know how far you could have. At the very least, it is the will to live in this world.”

“Fascinating. Also, Som, I just noticed something wrong with your blindfold.”

“What— locusts and toads! I just cleaned that!”

“I have some laundry to do later. Would you like me to include it in the load?”

“Could you? That would be wonderful. Thank you, Styg.”

“...Have you ever been on the sharp end of a sword?” Flash asked.

“I have not,” Stygian replied.

“Two things happen.” He held up a feather. “You either freeze up in fear, or—” He held up a second feather “—you overcome it. Courage is about the latter. Not letting the fear control you even if you feel it.”

“So, force of will rather than sheer bravado?”

“Yep!” Flash grinned. “Any other questions you got?”

“No, that was all.”

“Then I’m going to go get more wood for the stockpile. Talk to ya later, Styg!”

Flash flew off into the woods. He never noticed Stygian take his shield.

“Knowledge,” Starswirl said. “A grasp on both the principles and theorems that make up the basics of magic.”

“How straightforward,” Stygian said. “I had expected something more roundabout.”

“There is no point in waxing poetic about the fundamentals of my very being. Though, with your curiosity—” Starswirl brought over his personal spellbook “—some light reading would serve you well.”

Stygian took the proffered book with his magic.

“Thank you. I will read it tonight and give you my thoughts on tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it… friend.” Starswirl gave Stygian a warm smile.

Stygian stared at the items before him. Important belongings to the Pillars. Items imbued with their power. A power… he didn’t have. The conversations from earlier really cemented how they thought of him.

A pathetic loser.

Patronizing him with the ‘strength of the heart’ and ‘inner beauty’, as if he could not recognize the subtle jabs at his small stature and average appearance. Being told to just ‘not give up’ when he tries so hard to keep up with them. Not to mention that utter nonsense about ‘care’ and ‘overcoming fear’. Then to imply him a student. As if he still required such basic knowledge after so many years of learning and strategizing.

I was… it was…

Degrading. A horrible gnawing that ate away at him piece by piece. To know how little they thought of his worth.

The darkness cackled, circling around him. Whispering those horrid conversations to him over and over again.

He desperately needed it not to be true. To be told they cared. That they were still his fam—

Magic gathered in his horn. Bitter tears rolled down his cheek. He would not be abandoned. He would gather the power necessary to not lose what was important to him.

By any means.

The shadows swallowed him.