Like Time Arround the Arrow

Sun has once again risen across the valley. Machines passed through the fields, life was moving once again. Snow was replaced with the grass and flowers, indicating that Spring begun. On one of the mountains, surrounding the valley, a hut stood among the snow. It was made out of barrels of wood, knotted together to make a place to call home. It was surrounded by targets, resembling tall machines with horns rurved uwards. The birds chirped on the ground, looking for worms in the wet ground.

The sound of doors opening was heard, and hoofsteps coming from inside the house, which caused birds to fly away. Near the entrance, a grown stallion stood. He had white fur, like snow in the morning, with mane and tail colored like the flames of fire, paired with blue stripe on his tail. He breathed full lungs of fresh morning air, and came outside the house. He looked arround, first right, then left with his blue eyes, and then spoke.

"No one's here... Duskshine?" He called for a gray unicorn, but didn't hear the answer. He was gone somewhere, and Inlight didn't like it.

"He said we'll go hunting yesterday... where is he?" Flame-maned stallion asked no one, and proceeded to go past the gates to a small land arround the hut. He made a couple of steps untill he spotted tracks. Hoof tracks, which lead from the gates to the cliff where... huh, Duskshine stood, facing the valley. Inlight frowned, but still proceeded forward to his guardian. With the flap of his wings, he flew up and on the rocks, and he finally stood behind the elder stallion.

"Didn't expect that today's hunting would begin with tracking you down." Inlight broke the silence , which caused Duskshine's ears to turn to him, but not his face. Something was troubling him, and he was sure of it. Were he thinking about the next Proving? To be honest, young stallion still couldn't believe that the event for which he prepared his entire life was 2 days from now. Only 2 days before he could get his answers. But he must think about something else, or rather someone.

"Is something wrong?" Inlight spoke, walking besides him and looking at the valley, at the settlements which were there.

"I just needed to... think about some things." Duskshine quiletly spoke, still looking at the land below.

"You thinking about the Proving, right?" He was worried about it. When he will win it, he will become one with the tribe, and that meant abandoning the pony who raised him.

"No, not about that." Duskshine answered, and turned his head to Inlight. "I'm afraid after all the lessons I've teached you, there was one I failed in doing so."

"Failed lesson, huh?" Curiously said young stallion. It wasn't what he expected, but still he was certain that he was thinking about the Proving too. "And what is it, then?"

"It's not the lesson I can tell for you to learn, Inlight." Duskshine answered. "First, I need you to craft some fire arrows."

Inlight was surprised from the answer, especialy with the task elder stallion gave him.

"Fire arrows? But... why?"

"You will know soon enough. Meet me at the North Mother's Watch when you finished." Duskshine tasked to his adoptive son.

Whatever that task was, that was definetly something more than just the hunt. What threat even need fire arrows to defeat it? Inlight's thoughts wandered across his head, but he still managed to get himself together and say, "Yes, sir." starting his descend to the valley. Flopping his wings, he glided through the air observing the land where he grew up.

Mother's Embrase. The heart of all Nora, the tribe who he had to join. His entire life he lived here, he knew every tree. He never managed to go beyond theese lands. Rumors were told, that beyond the gates lured bandits and machines, remnants of the war from the past. He landed on the grass, snow melting under his hoofs. And he began tracking of his new target for the material needed for fire arrows: Blaze. Fortunately, he knew that the herd of Grazers, tall machines with horns twisted upwards and canisters on their flanks, was somewhere in his area. He activated the device under his ear – the Focus – and began looking for tracks. They weren't easy to find, Inlight had to walk arround a bit, but he eventualy found the right tracks, which lead further into the forest and down the river. Along the way, Inlight had a chance to listen to the sounds of the forest, the feeling of river going through his hooves, the song of birds calling their mates out and the wind passing the trees above. Every moment like this felt like it was the first time, enjoyable, magical.
But enough of relaxation, he had a hunting to do. After passing several trees he finally found his target: a herd of Grazers, paired with Watchers as guards. Inlight ducked and hid in the tall grass, planning his attack on the herd. If he would be detected, he would easily be overrun by machines. Maybe he could take down more dangerous machines first, then take out the Grazers, or...

He looked arroud to find anything he could use to ease his task, and found an old world tower just above the herd, standing still amongst the trees, and the idea came to his mind. Only thing he had to do is sneak close enough to the tower and take it down. Sounds easy.
Inlight was trained to this, pass through the tall grass, trees and bushes, avoiding the sigh of the machines. He was finally near the old tower, and was ready to somehow take it down right on the machines, without alerting them...

He should have thought about it before puttinf his plan into the action.

But it didn't matter, no turning back now, he had to get there and- Inlight immediatly ducked at the sigh of the machine which passed through. It was definetly not here before, coming out of the bushes and scanning the area near the hidden stallion. A couple of second has passed, and Watcher finished looking for the foes, continiuing his path. That was close. Inlight reassured that he was alone again, and came to the base of the tower. If only he could damage the legs hard enough for structure to fall... maybe he could use his spear to break them? Picking it with his mouth, he swinged with full power and hit the leg of the tower, making it shake. Couple of long-tailed machines heard the strike, and turned their heads to the tall structure. Stallion had to hurry, fast. He hit the base once again, which made the tower shake even more and even bend down a bit. This time, tall machines with canisters on their backs started to notice that something wasn't right, and stopped process the land below.

"Almost there..." Inlight spoke before once again hitting the leg of the tower, breaking off a small chunk off it. Tower bended even more, and gravity started to pull it down on the ground. Just on the herd of machines. As the structure fell, some of the Grazers managed to escape the rubble, but not everyone, as they were crushed under the weight of the tower. A moment hass passed, and Inlight walked among the rubble he caused, looking for the thing he was looking for – blaze.

"Now, where are you hiding?" Flame-maned pegasi spoke, trying to find the intact carcass of the Grazer. But he was instead greeted with the rising long-tailed machine, eye filled with red. Watcher jumped from the rumble straight onto Inlight, but pegasi, mastering his dodging skills for a decade, with the flap of his wings avoided being ambushed by a survived Watcher. He pulled out his bow, and put an arrow on it, aiming straight into the Watcher's eye. The machine wasn't standing still, as it charged again for attack with it's full body. Inlight released the arrow, but it passed near the machine. It managed to make a hit on the attacker succesfuly, landing a shot on his foreleg, making it spill with blood. Inlight moment later managed to make some distance between him and machine, grabbing his spear and throwing it just in the direction of the Watcher. Unabled to recover just in time, the machine fell with spear in it's body.

Inlight covered his wound with other hoof. There was not so much blood, but he still needed to heal. The wound wasn't as bad as it seemed, but simple piece of cloth should have worked.

"Well, that takes care of the machines... ngrhh." Inlight struggled to pull the spear out of Watcher, but once he recovered it, he contiued looking for the blaze. After walking arround for a bit, he found just what he needed – couple of Grazers underneath some rubble. He just needed to clean up a bit and blaze was his. It was more simple than taking out the spear, taking some blaze for the fire arrows. He'll make them on the way to the North Mother's Watch, eventualy. Right now, what he needed is to-

"Whoah! And they call me a destructive, just look at that!" Inlight was caught off guard by the new voice right behind him, he didn't even expect anyone to speak to him. What the hay was he thinking. He quickly turned his head in the direction of the voice, and was soon greeted by a stallion, with cyan fur, dark-blue mane and tail. But he was not from the Nora, definetly wasn't. Instead of normal hunter clothes, he wore armor, made of silver, together with the helmet.

"Oh, sorry, my bad! I was just passing through and didn't knew that you were one of those savages!" Stallion exused and started to walk away.

"Well I'm not exacly a part of the tribe..." Inlight tried to explain.

"Wait, you're not? Then who are you? Definetly look like one."

"I'm an outcast, who lives here."

"Outcast, hm..." unknown stallion put a hoof on his chin, squeezing his eyes. "Yeah, I heard something about that. Seems cruel to me."

"Yeah, I know." Inlight answered. The stallion was an outlander, that was for sure. The way he spoke and what armor he was wearing. Where even is his weapon? But it's not like Inlight cared about it, he has a task to do. Pegasi tried to walk away but he was stopped by the cyan-maned earthpony.

"'Cuse me, sir, it may be innapropriate but I need some.. uh... help?" He awkwardly asked with the sleepish smile on his face.

"Mgh, what is it?" Inlight asked with no care in his words. He did not want to help him right now.

"Well, you see, I was part of the recon group which was tasked with delivering a message to the nearby village you call.. uh.."

"Mother's Heart?"

"Yeah! To the Mother's Heart. And since there was a shortage in soldiers I had to go alone, but while I was going I got into some fighting with machines... sometimes received tomatoes from locals, I threw my spear at the Grazers which passed me nearby, I missed and it landed on tree which is pretty HIGH, and now I'm here talking to..." Outlander explained what happened to him, but Inlight had other questions to think about. What message was he delivering? Where is he from? But yet, one step at a time.

"Inlight, Inlight Dust." Inlight spoke

"Inlight? Huh, strange word... anyway, could you help me grab my spear?" Kindly asked stallion.

Inlight stared at him a couple of moments, wondering what he should do next. He could leave, or find out more about him. Curiosity sometimes is a bad thing.

"I will, but... who are you?" Inlight spoke, which made outlander shudder.

"Oh! I'm Private Silverhoof of the Equestrian Standing Army, under the authority of Captain Vigil Arrow!" Silverhoof said proudly. Inlight didn't understood anythinf what he said

"So you are like... Brave? A hunter who protects?" Flame-maned pegasi tried to think of some Nora analogues to anything this outlander said.

"Well, kinda yeah but... I can't say I'm brave..." Silverhoof said, becoming more sad with each word he said. "But you are tehnicaly right!"

"Uh-huh" Inlight said, thinking about the thing he said. So 'Privates' were like Braves of Equestria? Atleast it doesn't sound bad. "And you are from Equestria?"

"That's right. It's to the south-east from here. Long way through the mountains!" Cyan-maned stallion said. "Oh, thank Celestia I survived them..."

"Fine..." Pegasi said. This stallion was suspisious, but he probably won't go back until he got his spear back. Luckily, it was easy to find silver spear stuck in the tree just behind him. And with flap of his wings, he took the spear from the tree and landed just infront of the Silverhoof.

"Oh thank Celestia you helped!" He said as he took his spear. "Thank you!"

"Yeah yeah.. now go before other hunters will find you." Inlight said.

Silverhoof noded, and putting the spear on his back, troted his way out of the wreckage of the old world tower. Inlight was sure he won't survive another day here, but he didn't care.

It was almost an evening, sun started to descend, laying the rays of sunlight on the Embrase. Near the gates outside the valley, there was a small campfire, which left a trail of dark smoke which risen into the sky. Near it, a gray stallion was sitting, looking at the campfire. His black mane was now mixed with the gray manes, indicating his now old age. Hoofsteps were heard nearby, and soon, Inlight showed himself.

"I've got what you need!" Happily exclaimed young stallion, as he sat near his guardian. "I even made a couple of fire arrows with it."

"Good." Duskshine spoke, looking at flame-maned pegasi. "Did you ran into trouble on the way here?"

Inlight looked at his wound, closed with cloack. "Well... it wasn't easy exacly... but it will scar soon enough." He looked at the campfire, which was still on fire. Then, after a minute, he looked at the gates of the Embrase. "What is my task, Duskshine? Why fire arrows?"

"You will learn soon enough." Duskshine answered simply. "Now, we need to rest. We'll go in a nightime, we still got time." Inlight didn't like that. Whatever was bothering him, it was serious. And he knew what was it.

"Listen..." Inlight spoke. "I'm not going to shun you after the Proving."

"But it is against the rules that-" Duskshine tried to say, but was cut short by young stallion.

"It's against the rules, and I don't care!" Pegasi leaned forward, closer to the campfire and his guardian. "We'll go like that: after the Proving I will go to you for a couple of hours, no one will notice. You don't even have to speak to me! Only I will speak and that will be MY crime."

Gray stallion tried to reject Inlight's plan, but he knew he couldn't do it, even if tried. "You... put a lot of thought it it..."

"I had a time to think about it." Flame-maned pegasi said, and looked at the setting sun. "I've got some time... I'll rest."

"Rest easy then, Inlight." Duskshine spoke, as his adoptive son laid down for rest.

Moon light covered the land below, as like Mare on the Moon had laid her eyes on her. The North Mother's Watch stood still, guarding the Embrase with what lied beyond. Two Thestral guards, both with spears and bows, stood still guarding their post, untill infront of them two outcasts came. Duskshine stopped near the gates, and blew the whistle out of his mouth. A high pitched sound played for a moment, and outcasts waited for gates to open. Minute has passed, and Inlight began to question it.

"What are we waiting for exacly?" He questioned Duskshine, trying to not make a look like he was adressing the guards. Duskshine didn't answer, he didn't need to, as the gates were opened a moment after, letting two hunters out of the Embrase. Duskshine nodded to thestrals who stood at the gate, and they nodded back.

"So much for following the law..." Inlight said following Duskshine.

"We did not speak with them, and they did not with us, so no one broke the law. Now hush, as we're outside Mother's Embrase."

Saying that the land beyond the gates was in bad shape would be an understatement, because everything was worse. Ruined huts caught on fire, machine carcases scattered arround the field, and a unknown destroyed machine, not unlike anything Inlight saw before.

"W-what is this machine..?" Inlight looked at the carcass of the large machine, twice as large as any stallion. It had four strong paws, made out of dark metal, and head of it had two sharp blades posing as tooths.

"The tribe calls this machine a Sawtooth. They appeared somewhat a decade ago. Killed a lot of young braves as they appeared..."

"And I'm hunting one down?"

"You will know soon enough. Come"

Inlight and Duskshine followed the path, laying through the destroyed homes and machines, together with unfortunate hunters who couldn't make it. To think that all of it made this machine... it was like it was meant to kill, not unlike anything in the Embrase. What kind of machine does that? Along the path there was a body of a Watcher, from which Inlight salvaged a couple of materials which he'll use some day. They walked among the many of trees, climbing a rock which showed the scenery for Inlight to remember.

"An entire Lodge? D-Destroyed by the Sawtooths?" He questioned his mentor, showing visible fear in his voice. Just against what he was fighting?

"You're right." Duskshine stood near the pegasi, looking at the destroyed Lodge.

"B-but how!?" Inlight questioned once again.

"I brought you here not to answer questions, Inlight." Duskshine answered, breaking his look of green eyes from the Lodge, now looking at something in the dark. "But to deal with this." He pointed a hoof in the direction of the forest, trees of which began to shake one by one. Something big was incoming, fast. It made loud noises of a beast, getting louder as the machine came closer. And after the blink of an eye, large machine appeared, even bigger than the tallest Hippogriff. On it's spine it beared two antennas, and on the flank, instead of tail, it had a metal vessel of medium size. The front armor was luckily partialy stipped from the body, but that didn't meant that it was easier to take down. It opened it's mouth, revealing two large sharp tooths, and with a loud scream, which was like metal screeching, it walked near the destroyed lodge.

Inlight was lost. He didn't know what to say. He trained all his life, sure, but taking on an entire machine which looks like it could tear appart the dragon? That was out of hoof.

"This machine was meant to destroy... how do you even kill it?" He questioned Duskshine, who in turn started to walk away.

"That would be for you to decide, Inlight. This is your hunt, and I won't be there for you. Whatever happens, you're on your own." He said disapearing into the darkness of the night. There was no turning back now. Inlight had to fight, or he will meet his end. Fail Duskshine. He would not let that happen. NEVER. And with the wave of his wings, he slid down the rock into the tall grass below.

He looked at the machine. It needed to have a weak spot, with which his Focus could help. He tapped it twice and it activated, forming a orb of blue light around the Inlight and scanning the Sawtooth. It was weak to one thing for sure – fire. That's why Duskshine asked him to make some fire arrows? Anyway, back to the task. He could use some antennas as the weak point... or go straigh into his eyes... perhaps combining theese tactics will help? Inlight had to make his first move, and he slid into the another bush, loading a fire arrow on his bow. Holding with a hoof, he drawed it as strong as he could, aiming straight into the body of a machine. He holded his breath, and released the arrow. It flew fast and straight into the target, exploding on imlact, carching a metal beast on fire. That was his chance! Inlight loaded another arrow on his bow, his eyes full of determination, and he aimed at the antennas on his spine. He landed clear shots on them, revealing him to the Sawtooth, who with loud cry, charged on the pegasi. Flame-maned pony flopped his wings dodging the charging beast, landing near him, and taking his spear into the mouth. Sawtooth was confused, but quickly looked back at the battle-ready pegasi. Making a cry, he attacked using one of his paws to push Inlight. But Inlight was fast enough to dodge to the left and land a shot on one of the Sawtooth eyes. What he didn't expect, however, was other paw which hit hard his body, slamming it into the nearby tree. He did not expect that to happen, the machine was faster than anything he faced before! Standing up, he saw how the fire on the Sawtooth began to ease, going away with black smoke, as the machine tried to understand what gone wrong with it's right eyes. Inlight needed more weaknesses than just catching him on fire! What could he use right now? There were no traps to use! But suddenly Inlight spotted the canister on the belly of the machine, and he had the plan. What if he could hit the canister with fire arrow? It could make a great exolodion which will kill the Sawtooth... theoreticaly. Inlight prepared his fire arrows, dodging the attacks beast of steel thew at him. He just needed to find a right moment... he saw as the cat-like machine stood up on it's backlegs, showing Inlight it's belly, along with the canister. This was it! If he shoot it, he'll win! Inlight drew his arrow, and aimed at the Sawtooth, especialy at his belly. He holded a breath, closed one eye, and released it.

The time went like arround the arrow. Slow as the things what happend around it fast. Fire arrow flew fast, and straight intk the canister of the machine. It penetrated the glass of it, and in a spark, the canister blew up, making a shockwave that threw Inlight and Sawtooth back. Pegasi recovered from this slowly, looking at the direction of the machine, he could see it fall on it's side and releasing all of the light he had left of, leaving nothing but a carcass.

Inlight had defeated the machine.

He walked to the dead machine, as the sun began to rise. He tried to take whatever he could use, especialy the tooth of the Sawtooth from it's jaw. Duskshine stood behind him, crossing his forelegs, and after some time, he finally asked.

"Why did I bring you here?"

Inlight, not wanting to be distracted from salvaging, answered.

"Not to answer questions."

"Inlight..."

Flame-maned pegasi decided to say more detailed answer, to not annoy his adoptive father.

"It was a test. A test of my skills, what I've learned. How I would take down a new machine without any guidance." This should have satisfied him, but to Inlight's surprise, he heard Duskshine saying.

"No. Come, this way."

Inlight was surprised from the answer gray unicorn gave him, and, finishing with his salvage, followed him to the place from which the entire valley was seen.

"This is the Nora hunting lands, Inlight, a lands which you would protect once you'll become a Brave." Inlight looked at the lands and thought about what Duskshine said, but without hesitation, he continiued. "You killed that Sawtooth tonight, but how many do you think it would have killed tomorrow? The purpose of this training was not to test your skills, but to serve purpose bigger that you, Inlight." He placed his gray hoof on Inlight's chest, and looked at his eyes. They both shared the eyesigh, until young stallion broke the silence.

"I understand."

With a aprooving nod, Duskshine and Inlight walked by the same path again, now in the direction of the gates.

Once they were inside, Duskshine spoke once again.

"Today is your last day as an outcast, Inlight. I will go to the hut, and later meet you near Mother's Heart." He said to flame-maned pegasi as he began to walk away but Inlight stopped him.

"I-I can go with you to the home!"

"No, Inlight" gray unicorn refused. "I have some... things to do before I get there, and you need rest. You pulled quite a fight back there."

Duskshine was right. Inlight did fight worthy, and was really tired. He didn't argue, instead, he passed his farewells with unicorn and came to the place where they rested before, resting once again after a fight. Today was the last day of him being an outcast. Tomorow he'll win the Proving, and find out who his mother was, and maybe even why she abandoned him. But, as always, it was one step at a time, and closing his eyes, Inlight rested near the campfire.

Author's Note

Well, uh... this chapter is kinda bigger than others. I didn't even notice that before I finished it. But anyway, thank you for reading!