“I was twabewin’ home fwom Misty Cwiff when it happened. I teww 'ou, eben aww dah way out dewe, ou couwd feew dah gwound shake…”
[Quote from a father telling his foals, about the day the White Tower Fell]
[1 Week after Judgement Day]
I jolted awake, having another terrible nightmare, one of horrors and mayhem, one where I could see the tower crumbling down again and again, and the agonizing screams that were deafening. As I regained my composure I looked around the rescue tent we were staying in, and saw it was early morning. It has been about a week since rescue efforts began, and the thought of going back out there and clearing and searching throughout the rubble and uncovering it’s horrors, already made me full of dread and exhaustion. Getting up I see everyone still sleeping and decide it’d be best to go out and get some fresh air, so putting on my winter under cloth, and than my armor I head outside to begin the day.
Looking around it was a cloudless cold day and the streets looked pretty bleak. Almost every building in Stablelot had a coat of dust on it, with the damage on some being more and more noticeable the closer to ground zero. With the two districts closest to the collapsed palace, almost being completely destroyed. (Those districts being the Government & Mint District, and The Chicago Confederation Embassy District (which wasn’t that big, just one building surrounded by the G&M District)) And also looking I could see wagons soon to move out, holding dozens upon dozens of covered dead bodies. I sat on a crate thinking about what section of the city GrandPriest Gusto, was going to order us to clear and search next. Gusto from the brief moments I could see him, was a old male alicorn with a dark purple coat and neutral red mane. He came to Stablelot only a few hours after the collapse, with him supposed to actually be at the palace. But by pure luck, the wheel on his carriage broke on it’s way there. Gusto was currently the closest thing we had to leader, with the death of the Doe dynasty and leadership positions like mayor empty. He was the closest we had to a King. Someone who helped guide the guard, and gave out clear orders.
I saw Charles exit the tent a few minutes after I left, he looked a little disheveled, his mane messy and eyes tired, I couldn’t blame him, he was taking this cleanup as badly as me. Charles sat down besides me speaking nothing, only taking out a cloth to clean his sword. Than as I looked at the other tents, seeing the guards and volunteer crews leaving, Ix and Dar come out. Dar looks at Charles and speaks.
“Do 'ou think dah west of Motow nao knows?”
Charles speaks still cleaning his sword, and not even looking up.
“easiwy, dewe hab been bowunteews awwibin’ as faw as new junction. Damn we am in one heww of a cwisis.”
Dar speaks sitting down.
“What do ‘ou think am goin’ to happen once aww of dis am cweawed. Who’s goin’ to wepwace Wiwian!??”
Damn even just hearing Dar say that sounds morbid… The doe’s having been ruling so long that the idea of them just vanishing and having to find someone new is just so daunting. Right after the Tower collapsed, there was so much fear that the chaos in Stablelot would spread and soon cities and towns would declare their independence and Motor would cease as an idea. Thank Anu that didn’t happen, much of the city was calmed after the first few days and didn’t spread outside. Than came an idea from the idealists and intellectuals of the city, creating a government similar to the one in Chicago. Where instead of the head of state being the offspring of the former, positions of power would be elected by a council of nobles and influential figures. But I think deep down everyone knew, there was only one dynasty that had enough respect and prestige to rival House Doe and keep the nation together. StrongWing, more specifically Duke Tullos StrongWing the head of the StrongWing family. I heard many things about him, how even though he isn’t a King, he sure wants to be treated and control his cities like one (those cities being Green Roof, Leaky Town, Misty cliff, Storm Drain and Soul) And how he has always been against the policies Lilian and House Doe tried to implement (Mostly revolving around trying to integrate Tribal’s, and limit colonization of Tribal lands)
I can only think how he’s feeling right now, he’s probably thanking Anu thousand times over and is on his way to Stablelot, as I think. Ready to claim the title of King himself and all the cities House Doe used to rule (Those cities being Stablelot, Seaside, HappyFarm, Bomber Bay, Outer Glow and Waterfall) I can only think what was going to happen once House StrongWing get’s all that land. I can say this, there will be no more challenging them in any sort of way, for all the land, wealth, resources and population they will control, easily they will become the dominate family. And probably for myself and my Unit we will lose our jobs, as Tullos already has his own private Bodyguard and doesn’t want anyone with connections with the previous dynasty. As I continue thinking about this future, I am a little surprised as I hear Ix’s voice coming my way.
“Emily you ok? you have been staring into space for a few minutes now… It’s time to go.”
I look at Ix snapping out of my deep thought, and speaking.
“Oh sowwy, wet’s go!”
Now off with my unit, and most of the other guards in the city. We begin to head to the city center, where Gusto with give us our assignments. As we watch I look around me, seeing some civilians look at us, with most of them wearing bandages or bone mender’s and having faces that looked empty and hopeless. Once we got to the center, there was a large ramp with several of Gusto’s Temple bodyguards on it. With me having a better look I could properly see the Temple guards with them having the same type of armor as us, but it had blue stripes and had feathers on the helmet. and they had shields attached to there hooves with the Anuian symbol on it (The symbol being one of a black background with a white silhouette of a fluffy, with a golden crown overlooking the sun) We waited for Gusto to come and a few minutes later as more and more guards joined us, somebody went to the center of the ramp, but not Gusto.
“Mastah Gusto am cuwwentwy busy, buh hewe am am assignments.”
It was on of his helper’s, wearing long robes we could barely see him. As we started walking over to the list, seeing where we would be going for the day. We were left a little confused to see our Unit not listed anywhere, did they forget?" Looking around for a few moments we saw the other guards getting there assignments and leaving, than just as I was scanning over the list again we had a Anuian guard approach us.
“fowwow fwuffy, nu ask any questions.”
What!?
We were confused, Dar about to to ask a question before being shushed by the guard and giving the signal to follow him. So guessing this was something important I started to follow him, with the others soon doing the same. As we walked the guard stopped multiple times looking out, I saw so confused why was he doing this? We walked to a empty street, and after a few more seconds of walking arrived at a wooden two story building with a fallen orange banner near it’s door. The guard knocks two times than after a few seconds knocks two times more and the door opens slightly with a voice speaking.
“'Ou bwought them?”
The guard nods, and the voice speaks again.
“did anybody fowwow 'ou!”
The guard looks around than shakes his head and less than a second later the door opens, and we are singled to head inside.
Once inside the place was pretty dark, with only a few candles lighting up the cleared out rooms and maps and charts all over the wall. It was when we got to the next room that we were left in shock, there in it’s corner sitting at a desk was GrandPriest Gusto. Me, Dar and Charles all started to kneel infront of him with Ix looking awkward, I saw Charles just about to signal to Ix to kneel when Gusto spoke in a deep voice.
“Get up.”
Hearing this we started getting up, with Charles turning his face to Gusto speaking.
“Why did 'ou summon us gweat pwiest, what’s wiff aww dis secwecy?”
Gusto sighed, with his eyes looking tired and spoke.
"Fo’ am fiwst question Gusto wiww expwain, an’ fo’ dah second question am spies, mowe specificawwy Stwongwing spies. dey am ebewywhewe. "
“StrongWing spies” What was Gusto talking about, this is so crazy!
Than Gusto spoke again.
“teww me Woyaw Guawds, what do ‘ou know about King Wiwian?
Ix was the one to speak first.
“General knowledge and what we have been thought. son of Maximus the iv, he was pretty normal at first, and than took over after his fathers death at the young age of 2. His first few months as King were considered good , with only his inexperience being a problem that being until the accident at the pond… Where his raccoon was startled and he fell wearing heavy armor and nearly drowned as his Guards had to take off there armor to save him. He was pulled out nearly dead and in a coma for a month until we woke up and he was “Different” And than you have his arranged marriage to Isabelle, the crazy unhinged rants and th-”
Gusto speaks in a neutral tone.
"Hmm, su basicawwy what ebewyone ewse knows. Gud he nu did yeww out dah secwet, duwin’ his want at dah pawace.”
Secret!? What! Dar speaks.
“What am ‘ou tawkin’ about, what was Wiwian hiding?”
Gusto speaks.
“I wiww teww 'ou. Do 'ou know of Pwincess Wiwwow StwongWing?”
Willow StrongWing? Everyone knows of her! She was the firstborn daughter of Duke Tullos, and was his designated heir. That was until… She went missing. The ghost princess I heard she is called in StrongWing lands, she vanished one day and was never seen again.
Gusto sees me lightly nod and speaks.
“Gusto knows what happened to Wiwwow”
We all gasp hearing this and Gusto speaks again.
“‘Ou see back befowe dah pond accident an’ eben befowe Wiwian became king’. Boff him an’ Wiwwow wewe cwose. Gusto couwd awways feew wike dewe was somethin’ between dah two of them buh fwuffy wasn’t suwe. My suspicions wewe confiwmed when dah awwanged mawwiage was announced by Maximus iv. Wiwian came to fwuffy in teaws sayin’ that Isabewwe wasn’t dah pewson he wobed an’ it was Wiwwow. Gusto twied consowin’ him bestes’ I couwd buh he weft.”
Holy shit… Hearing this was shocking but thinking I started understanding the positions. If Lilian and willow were to marry both, House Doe and StrongWing would be permanently linked, with ultimately StrongWing losing, as if Lilian and Willow were to have a… I have feeling of what Gusto was going to say next. Gusto speaks.
“When he weft that dawk time, he went to go see Wiwwow an’ he said dey had a emotionaw consewbation an’ uwtimatewy it wead to them gettin’ “intimate” A few days watah he spoke to fwuffy in a panic, Wiwwow… She was pwegnant. Gusto heawin’ dis was panicked to, if dis news was to get out. Boff of them wouwd face of possibiwity of execution. Su Gusto came up wiff pwan, Wiwwow wouwd be taken somewhewe safe, an’ su, she Vanished wike a ghost. an’ once dewe Maximus the iv died, an’ Wiwian was fowced to mawwy Isabewwe an’ wuwe dah Kingdom. He was su busy that he bawewy came by, onwy doin’ it twice. befowe comin’ back one wastes’ time as Wiwwow was gibin’ biwff to dah babbehs.”
I was speechless hearing this, nearly taking a step back. Gusto continued to speak.
“Gusto wemembews that dawk time awmost 7 yeaws ago, Wiwian came wushin’ when I towd him dah news. An’ when we got dewe dah babbehs wewe awweady bown. Two fiwwies, two cowts. Onwy one cowt was awibe. Wiwian sat wite next to wiwwow as she nuwsed, boff of them habin’ a mix of sowwow an’ happiness. We stayed fo’ a bit befowe Wiwian named dah boy. His name am Enoch.”
I couldn’t even process what I was hearing before Gusto spoke one last time.
“That was dah onwy time Wiwian got to see him though. as wiff him bown, boff dah babbeh an’ Wiwwow wewe unsafe. Su he made a decision boff Enoch an’ Wiwwow wouwd go hidin’ in Nickew city. Hopin’ that once dah babbeh gwows an’ he couwd get into a bettah position as King dey couwd meet again. Sadwy dis nebah happed, as two weeks aftah dah biwth dah accident happened an wed to his madness. Woyaw Guawds Gusto am gibin’ 'ou an mission that seems cwazy buh it’s ouw onwy chance. I nee’ 'ou to find that boy.”
Charles is the first to speak putting his hoove behind his head.
“dis am cwazy, some wong wost heiw! nickew city weawwy, whewe do we eben begin!”
Gusto speaks going over to a closet.
“Dah boy has a dawk bwue coat an’ bwack taiwie, fwom what Gusto wemembews. He nu can be that hawd to find dewe.”
Gusto was right, Nickel City capital of the state of Nickel home of the bat ponies and there clans. I heard weird stories of that mysterious place, visitors aren’t welcome there. Ix speaks as Gusto goes through the closet.
“Sir, what about Tullos? Many think he is going to try to become king!”
Gusto speaks as I get a peak into the closet, seeing the crown of Motor.
“Wewe wucky, Tuwwos am cuwwentwy on a miwitawy campaign at dah most nowthewn pawt of Outah Motow. Dewe am nu way wiff dah snow he wiww be abwe to come back hewe fo’ at weast monff. he pwobabwy doesn’t eben know Wiwian am dead yet, buh once he does. Dewe wiww be nu deciding, he wiww mawch on stabwewot an’ take dah fwone by fowce if it come to that. ‘ou must head weabe to Nickew city nao, wiff most thinkin’ aww Woyaw Guawd’s am dead 'ou am inbisibwe.”
Dar speaks with a bit of a skeptic tone.
“It wiww take us months to wawk dewe in dah snow! an’ once we get dewe what if dey decide to just not wet us in! ugh…”
Gusto responds as he finally closes the closet holding a box.
“Simpwe, go to Seaside an’ take boat. Dah jouwney shouwd onwy take a few day’s, an’ once dewe pwetend to be twadews, If dey nu wet ‘ou in sneak. An’ awso take dis.”
Seaside, my parents! I felt happy as Charles yells out in concern.
“saiw in dah cowd time, that’s suicide!”
Gusto speaks slightly raising his voice.
“It’s dah bestes’ chance we got, if we wait Tuwwos wiww take contwow! Gusto adbices 'ou weabe am awmow hewe once 'ou weabe, nobody can know who 'ou am.”
Gusto opens the box and I see that it is a letter and once he has it put’s his arm out, wanting one of us to take it. Gusto speaks.
“Duwin’ my wastes’ pwibate meetin’ wiff Wiwian, fwuffy seemed a wot mowe cawm an’ at peace wike his pwe accident sewf. Handin’ me dis box. Tewwin’ me to open it, once he died. Weww Gusto knows why he did that.”
I look and am able to read the text on the unopened letter. “To my love Willow, and son Enoch”
I grab the letter and put it in my bag, and Gusto speaks opening his desk.
“Gusto wiww twy his bestes’ to keep things undah contwow as 'ou seawch. Do not mention dah secwet heiw to anyone, if 'ou do, Stwongwing’assassins wiww be aww obah 'ou.”
Gusto hands us a large sack of cash, enough to keep us well supplied for at least 2 months. And speaks.
“Awso, wiwwow took dah most pwestigious StwongWing awtifact when she weft, it wiww be dah ebidence enoch needs to pwobe his cwaim to dah fwone.”
“The Most prestigious StrongWing artifact” Excalibur, she took the sword. Charles putting the money in his bag, speaking to all of us.
“Am we in dis togethew?”
There are a few silent glances all around, before finally I speak.
“We made an oath at twainin’ to sewbe dah Doe dynasty, an’ Motow. Dis Enoch am son of Wiwian, heiw to dah fwone. We must find him, an’ stahp dis usuwpew!”
There are nods all around and Gusto speaks to us one final time.
“Den dewe am nu goin’ back, head to Seaside an’ get a boat. Find Enoch an’ Wiwwow, bwin’ them back hewe befowe it’s to wate. An’ gud wuck, ou bewy weww may be ouw Wast Hope.” Fin
The adventure now begins! I can’t wait to write about Unit 6’s arrival to Nickel city, and search for Enoch! I hope to have part 6 done in at least a few day’s to a week, and of course constructive criticism is appreciated. May you have a good day!