After a long wait, here is a new scene for you guys
One month after Lightning Runner’s second hospitalization
I was being checked on for the… twentieth time? Maybe.. I don’t know. anyway, I was being checked on once more by my second favorite doctor, -Bone Setter- next to Case himself, for any inconsistencies or whatever in my other three legs, and while we were taking the rather small trot from my room to the lobby type area, I noticed, and I’m sure he noticed, there was a rather large limp. Not enough to guarantee that I was going to be lame in a leg for the rest of my life, but just enough to make a doctor notice something is wrong.
I was given a crutch to try to bring pressure off of my legs, but considering I had to hold it under my wing in the… spot. Pegasi know what I’m talking, or writing if this ever gets published as part of some autobiography -Heh, chances of that happening are slim to none- and due to that, It was rather uncomfortable and wish it was less painful, but as I was not a unicorn or earth pony -Amug knows how they can ‘crutch walk’ easily- it was how I was to do this. As I moved through the town… ponies I had once worked to protect looked at me…. as if I was a… criminal. An outlaw. Like I shouldn’t be here.
I know my mane is a bit dirty… and my fur is a bit faded, but… is this the only greeting I get? The
first… ‘discordant’ to be reconverted, and I’m looked at as if I shouldn’t be here. I… I had enough time to think about Mother and my Brothers and Sisters here… I don’t need more time to think about them. I’ll talk to them when I get away from my family… surely they won’t feel the same about me. Mist has spent time with some foals and while they might have said something, I don’t expect the foals to be spreading rumors that would turn my family against me…. right?
I-I know Sweetie gossips… but she doesn’t believe everything she hears right? GAH I’m worrying too much about this fucking ‘What if’ game I’m playing in my head. Time to get the buck home and spend time with Sweetie and Mist….
At the Runner Clan home
“Honey? OH my goodness you’re home. I’ve been so worried… how’re your legs?” She nearly tackled me when I walked in the door, I seemed to have caught her in the middle of her mashing a few of the potatoes she had bought from the recent caravan for Yam later that day. Luckily she hadn’t dropped anything, or that would’ve been a hell of a mess to clean up. Mist and Yam were luckily out playing as Sweetie informed me, but I kinda… ignored that she was going to be coming in soon due to the darkness.
“Lightning? You alright?”
I shook my head. “Y-Yes. Sorry, I got a bit lost in my thoughts. I-I’ve had a lot to think about recently”
“Ah… well I didn’t expect you to be home so soon. I can see if I can get some sandwiches from the tavern… I don’t think we have enou-” I interrupted her with a short ‘I’m fine’ and she nodded.
“Well.. I should let you know that I moved the chest a few days ago after Yam got into it, I caught her before she got into your lockpick kit. Your knife was missing though… any idea where it went?” She asked, motioning to the chest, now next to the bed, farther away from the place where Mist and Yam slept.
“Thanks… I don’t know what I’d do without you” I nuzzled her and went in for a kiss and she gladly went in for the catch so to say. The moment of bliss and… pleasure for the first time in a while lasted only a moment as I pulled away and muttered. “I’m glad you are okay… I’m glad you were able to keep the children alive…”
“Y-You shouldn’t be thanking me… thank Flamberge,” While she kept speaking the only word my mind stuck on was having to thank… Flamberge for… protecting them. Of course if he didn’t kill Mothe- Entropy, then his family would be gone… but if he was killed like Entr- Mother wanted… GAH why can’t I just keep a clear head today!
“-also somepony wanted you to go and talk to the Discordants we have housed here… probably to raise morale? I don’t know… I just was told to let you know when you got home.” I nodded and sat down on the table, balanced the crutches on the table and kept them upright so I wouldn’t have to worry about hurting myself picking them up.
Time to just relax for a bit before heading out…
Vrooom to Third Person
After the battle, most of the town’s livestock had been killed which left most of the western side of town empty. It was there that small, temporary, wooden shacks were thrown together for the Discordant ponies left in Duskfields. A small campfire crackled in the center of the makeshift settlement, but no ponies were immediately visible there.
Lightning made his way towards the center and while he moved a bit slower with the crutches Bonesetter had given him, he was able to move at a decent speed. He reached the campfire and looked around before calling out. “Hello?”
He heard a shuffling of hooves within one of the shacks, then a middle aged pegasus mare poked her head out. She turned tired eyes toward him and asked, “What is it?” She squinted and stepped just outside. “Quarrel?”
He flinched as he heard the name that represented everything he hoped never to become. “N-No… it’s Lightning Runner now…” He said looking in the general direction the voice came from.
The mare squinted at him for a moment more before her expression fades to something between exhaustion and sadness. “Oh, yes. Forgive me, it… it has been so long that I forgot that some had other names.” She brushed her mane from her face. “Is something wrong? Are we needed?”
“No. I was told somepony just wanted me to… talk to you ponies. If they had anything specific, I certainly didn’t get the message…” He trotted closer to the shack. “Mind if I come in?”
She shook her head and made room for him to enter. “No, come in.” Inside, Lightning found two younger stallions, an earth pony and a unicorn both with unhealthy looking yellowing coats and manes, sleeping unsoundly on mattresses on the ground. The scattered remains of cooking utensils and other bare necessities were stacked in one corner, and the mare gestured for Lightning to make himself comfortable in the vacant spot at the far side of the shack. “They wanted you to speak with us? I’m… not sure what there is to say.”
He looked around at the shack. Surely this was just one of the many. Flamberge surely wouldn’t lie about something like this. “Sweetie mentioned a thought about just getting the morale up… I’m sure you are in need of some… talking. Talking soothes the mind…” He said, voice trailing off. “Is this the living standards for the other shacks as well?”
She hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes. Time and supplies were short, I am thankful to have this much. As are my sons.” She pointed at the sleeping ponies as one twitched an ear. “At least… we… we think I am their mother.” She looked back at Lightning. “It has been so long since I last thought clearly. Have you coped better?”
“I d-don’t think… how do I put it… Mother’s grasp on me was as… tight.. Not to be rude at all. Anyway… I’ve been coping fine with what grasp there was…” He took in a breath. “I think it was overexpectation… but Fl-Flamberge’s words led me to believe more…” He said, chuckling slightly, hoping to lighten the mood.
She nodded and sighed. “We were told that things would improve soon. When there was time and materials. We have been helping to mend the damage we dealt to this town, and after that new homes would be built.”
“Ah… Apologies if any of it sounded rude.” Was all he could say before she began to speak again.
“Be not troubled,” she said with a sad smile. “We have had much more to think about than just this. As… perhaps only you can truly appreciate… acclimating has been quite difficult.”
“I can understand… while I am not I in the same situation as you… I can understand how it can work on the spirit.”
She nodded again. “After… she… passed, it was as if half of my memories and thoughts were torn from my mind. I have been working to remember. To remember who I was, and who my family were.” She brushed another silver hair from her face. “It has been difficult, but we are adjusting. The work gives us purpose in the meantime.”
Lightning stayed silent. This was more serious than he thought. “I-I didn’t realize it was like this…”
Her tired expression changed to another weak smile. “As I said, be not troubled. I have my sons, and for now that is all I need. The ponies here have been slow to accept us, but I think in time everything will be alright.”
He smiled a bit as well. “Yes… that is what I hope as well… I just hope not every town where our brothers and sisters went will treat them like prisoners and nothing more”
“As do I,” she replied, looking around the room. “This is far from a prison, however. And the work we’ve been asked to do… in a sense it is the least we can do to make up for what we’ve all done.”
Lightning nodded, finding it better than anything he could come up with. “Are any others awake? Or is it just you…”
She looked at the sleeping ponies and squinted again. “Coal Dust and… and… Lodestone just went to sleep. I think perhaps some of the others are awake if you would like to speak with them?”
“Yes… I would like to get to know those I can now…”
“Alright. I think… Wool Blanket? Yes, I think he is here. Come.” She led him back outside and across from her shack to another smaller one. She tapped against the wall and called, “Wool? Are you there?”
A young unicorn stallion with a sky blue coat flanked by a unicorn filly of a similar but lighter shade poked their heads out. “Glitter? Is something wrong?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No, there is somepony here who wants to speak with you.” She pointed at Lightning Runner.
“Hello you two” Lightning said, smiling. “You aren’t in trouble, I just… wanted to know if you wanted to talk about anything right now?”
The filly stepped outside and sat, looking Lightning over. The stallion followed, letting a nervous smile form on his face. “Oh, that’s good. Talk… you… you’re Quarrel, right? No, wait… what was your real name?”
Lightning nodded. “Lightning Runner. You?” He said looking towards the Stallion.
“Wool Blanket,” he answered simply, tapping a similar image on his flank. “And this is my daughter, Spindle,” he said, pointing at the filly. She smiled and nodded at him. Wool took a deep breath. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about exactly?”
“As I told your friend, Miss…” He stopped. He had never asked for her name. He shook his head. “Names aside, as I told your friend, I was just here to talk about general things, to… lighten the mood persay”
“Ah, I see,” he said, relaxing just visibly. “I’m glad you’ve come then, we haven’t had a lot of opportunity to speak with the ponies in town. I suppose it should be expected that they would be, ah, leery of us. That will probably not stop entirely, but knowing that there is a hint of care here is most reassuring.”
Lightning nods once more. “Yes… I’m more surprised they didn’t execute you. Knowing that not every one of our brothers and sisters weren’t killed because of a grudge so to say, is a good thing no?”
“That it is,” he agreed, placing a hoof across his daughter’s withers. “Very surprising too, if I’m honest. As you’re probably aware, Entropy has caused an enormous amount of sorrow and grief in her life through us. Perhaps knowing that we were allowed to live and help rebuild things was the most important thing to take away from this. To prove that she was truly wrong, and that ponies are better than she thought.”
Lightning looked to the ground. “Yes. Probably the thing I’m glad of most is that you are allowed to stay inside the walls. I’m sure elsewhere, you’d have to stay outside the walls due to your past, but the amount of trust this town puts into you all might mean reintegration is not far off.” He smiled before looking back up. “Now what’s your filly’s name?”
He nodded as he listened. “Spindle.” He stroked her mane and said, “Say hello to Mr. Runner.”
“Hello Mr. Runner,” she parroted.
“Hey Spindle. Did you do anything special today?” He asked in a more chipper tone, similar to the tone he used when talking to Mist.
She made a tiny smile and nodded. “Uh huh, I helped daddy sort some cloth. He said it’s really nice cloth.”
Wool chuckled. “Yeah, as you probably guessed by the name I used to be a weaver. It’s not much, but I’m helping out how I can.”
Lightning also chuckled. “Heh. Yeah. Funny how our names work. Some of use are named after our parent’s job and we work in their same line, others have a family ‘last’ name and are named differently in their ‘first’ name like me.” He stopped when he noticed he had gone off topic. “Sorry, I’m rambling on again. Anything else you do Spindle?”
“Mmhmm, I spent some time with Ms. Glitter Dust,” she said, looking at the pegasus mare beside them, who had gone silent by this point. “She let me help cook. She likes to put strawberries in stuff, and I really like the strawberries here.”
Glitter Dust chuckled herself. “I am too old to go digging around in the mine, so for now I mostly keep things tidy around here and look after the little ones.”
“Mmhmm… My wife is one of the farmers here, she might be able to get you some more things to cook with than what, I assume, they give you to ration out.” He offered
Glitter nodded. “Thank you. So far I have not been turned down when asking, but thank you. Perhaps I will come to know her soon. What was her name?”
“Sweet Potato, though she prefers Sweetie, and I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but if you do need anything, I can help”
“Thank you again, really,” Wool said. “We’ve been managing so far. Even Flamberge hasn’t bothered us aside from making sure we had something to do. I guess he’s got bigger things to worry about now.”
He nodded and said. “Yes, I can imagine. Being the new… baron would cause you to have more problems, but I don’t know, maybe it’s one of those jobs where it’s more of a name with benefits than anything else”
“To some, I’m sure that’s how it is,” Wool replied. “Either way, I suppose everypony has more problems now than they’re used to, but it’ll sort out in the end. Sooner than we might expect, if I had to guess.”
“Yes…” He paused for a moment to think. “I don’t know if it will be rude to ask… but would it be alright if I asked you what happened during… the siege. I was… out of the way so to say, and while Flamberge told me his side… it’d be nice to know your side…”
The former discordant ponies looked uneasy, and Wool prodded Spindle to get her to go back inside. When she was gone, he said, “I don’t know what all he told you, but it was about as bad as could be expected, I guess.
“I wasn’t part of the fighting inside. Entropy had most of us stay back. If I had to guess she was trying to keep more of us from getting hurt than she had to, but it probably was the thing that cost her in the end. I saw one of the soldiers die outside the gates and many more injured on its walls. Many, many of the attackers were killed.”
Lightning nodded and stayed silent for the most part.
Glitter Dust nodded. “I was also staying back, but in this case it was because I was not really able to fight. I was here to make our numbers look more impressive, I think.” She shook her head. “I saw less than Wool, I am afraid. About the only thing I saw… felt... was Entropy’s death.”
“Ah… well… if you don’t want to talk I understand.. I just wanted a clearer picture.” He saw the look of grief on their faces. “I didn’t mean to make either of you feel worse than you already were…”
“It’s fine,” Wool assured him. “Talking about it is better than just harboring it inside forever. I just wish I had more I could tell you.” He sighed. “It’s done now, one way or another.”
“That it is.” He said as the sun disappeared under the horizon. “It’s getting a bit dark… anything you wanted to say before I headed home?”
The two former discordants looked at each other briefly, then back to him. “Just… thank you,” Glitter Dust said.
Wool nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I hope you have a nice sleep tonight and a wonderful time until our next meeting.”
“Thank you again, and I wish the same to you,” Glitter Dust said, smiling a bit wider than before. Wool nodded again silently.
Author
Topic: Duskfields (My Little Fortress) (Read 46792 times)