A Chance Meeting (Closed Watermark)

[kuruka]

Kuruka followed this strange stallion back out into the snow, curious. Not even the cold, wet breeze could distract her. Trying desperately to piece back together her mask, her protection, she shifted her shield on her back and adjusted her spear, which had started pricking her shoulder. A minuscule amount of blood emerged from the wound and she discreetly pressed against it with the side of her wing.
Zanabi tribe. Kuruka tried to remember what she had heard about it. Not much, she had to admit. She had tried to listen to her tribal teachers about their heritage and history, but it was so difficult absorbing anything from the ponies who treated not only herself but her little siblings with such disgust and disdain.
Not "winged witch" had they called her, but Half-blood, Infidel, Mutt, or, from the younger ones, Splotch and Stain.
Kuruka closed her eyes and shuddered. "What would you have from me, Watermark?"

[Watermark]

As Watermark stepped out with Kuruka, his hooves tapped the ground impatiently with every other step. He's yet to meet another half zebra like himself, and the memories that arose from the encounter were not pleasant at all.
Horned Demon, River Monster, that's what they called him, they hated him with such passion.

Regarding Kuruka's previous statement, of his forgiving nature, he explained, "As a mage, I was taught a technique that requires me to master all of my emotions. The easiest way to control them was to disassociate myself from them. My anger at my former tribe remains in another personality. One that emerges on command." He attempted to inform. It was the first time he had explained this to anyone, it was rather releasing.

He enjoyed the moisture of the snow and the wind, basking in it as he sat there, his grin for the first time disappearing from his face. "My mother passed at birth and my father disappeared shortly after. I was left to raise by the old shaman. He saw me play with the water, he saw me use magic and he nurtured it, where as the others of the tribe feared it, and me." He looked at his side, "These stripes you see are tattoos, I was not born with the stripes of my tribe."

He looked at her as she asked what he would have of her, "I have not met yet another half zebra, I always assumed there had to be others somewhere. I want to hear your story, and why you left." He looked over her stripes, and recognized them with a slow nod. He always did listen to his shaman's teachings, after all he was the closest thing Watermark had for a father besides Red Charge.

[kuruka]

Kuruka listened intently. A mage. Of course one would have to master emotions as a mage. The alternative would be, well, undesirable was certainly an understatement, but adequate for now.
Kuruka tried to imagine living without a natural family, and shuddered yet again. What would life have been like if she hadn't had Amali there to greet her with a smile and a hug? Cyrah to mourn her naturally white pelt? Kadija with her listening ear? Again, Kuruka had to wall up, fighting the emotion of memory and sympathy.
"I was also tattooed to fit in with my tribe." Kuruka admitted at last. "There passes not a day when I do not regret it. I was..." she smiled sheepishly. "Rather vain about my pelt, yet another sin to add to being born. I also loved the sky too much. Many words were used to chastise my ingratitude for the earth and the use of my ability to fix the weather. Unnatural, they called it. The earth has its course and we must respect it." Kuruka checked the bitterness in her voice and continued in a more controlled manner. "That was not the reason I left, though. I could stand the criticism. But, I have ten young siblings at home. Ten times my own hurt and ten futures that could shine throughout Equestria. It was the moment I received my cutie mark that I realized I had to leave." Kuruka glanced at the shield on her flank. "I am their guardian, and one of the responsibilities of a guardian is to choose a place that is safest from the dangers that abound. So now I am here in Hoofton, protecting the town so I can soon protect my siblings."
Kuruka looked up at Watermark. It was the most she had ever revealed before, and certainly the first time she had told her own story. She hoped she had chosen her audience wisely. She knew all too well the stoking effects of pity and the dangers of the fiery result.

[Watermark]

Watermark sat patiently, possibly the most patient everyone has ever seen him listen to something before. His impatient hoof tapping stopped as Kuruka began to talk and he dared not interject or pose any questions when she talked. If he had to be frank with himself, he had no idea his past really had that much impact on him these days, that meeting another with a similar history would affect him so boldly.

Watermark did not envy Kuruka's situation at all, he had siblings, or at least he counted them as siblings. Two sisters and a much older brother, who he has never seen. None of them were part zebras however, and so they did not share his troubles. He was glad for it, and that realization clicked inside of him when she said she was protecting the town so that she may protect her family. In a way, was that not what he was doing with the cult? Was that not what they were all doing?

"I too work to protect, not only Hoofington, but Equestria itself. Behind the scenes though it may be, I suppose all we want is in our own way to make sure Equestria remains safe." He said at last, However Kuruka's story has stirred another, who would not keep his peace. One who had not yet put behind the memory of what the Zanabi Tribe had done, and the events that drove Watermark away from them, with no meaning to ever return.

Watermark's grin snapped back on his face so quickly that it was a rather startling sight, "You seem to have it made here, why not bring your siblings over?" He asked, and then hastily added, "If that's not too intrusive, I mean." He said, walking around to stretch his legs, raising a small pillar of snow around each of his steps to flex his mental muscles a bit, in preparation.

[kuruka]

Kuruka studied Watermark. Worked to protect Equestria, huh? Strange, he didn't look like a royal guard or soldier. Behind the scenes? Even stranger. The smile that then plastered his face told Kuruka there was definitely more to this pony than she, and perhaps even he, could see. The expression was completely different from the one he had just a moment ago, the one Kuruka felt was more sincere.
She raised her eyebrows at the suggestion to bring her family to Hoofington. Had she not said that was the plan?
"I will eventually, when Hoofton is better secured against Everfree and I have a place big enough to house all of them." She replied, whacking an itch on her flank with her tail. "Living among the tribe is difficult, but at least there is an army in case a monster decides to invade. I must build the militia, perhaps a wall if necessary, before I can offer the same." Kuruka watched the pillars grow from Watermark's hoof, gaining inspiration.

[Watermark]

Watermark looked around him, trying to imagine the layout of Hoofington. Then, deciding on a proper spot he stopped, "A wall in a farming community won't do you much good." He said and looked at the snowy ground around him, which gathered up quickly into a large ball before exploding outwards, venting from the water, and then reforming themselves into a large statue, the statue displayed a proud armored pony, the ice on its armor so thick that it became practically white, but the ice making the pony was semi transparent, leaving the impression of an actual armored horse.

"This is a statue of a great mage of ice, Frostbite is his name. As long as this statue is here, you will be under his protection." His horn glowed brightly as he placed it against the base of the statue gently, enchanting the ice so it will not melt. Of course, he knew Frostbite well enough to know the ill tempered pony will likely not shake his tail at this place. But with this as his icy golem, Watermark could in his place. This golem was inactive, the trigger to its activation would be calling out the name in distress. He was content with this, it would at the very least give confidence to the ponies of Hoofington.

After all, the Ice King is protecting them now...

He looked at Kuruka and grinned, walking on the now bare grass around her, "It's not much, but it's something I can do for another of my kind." His grin widened, "Of course, the monster problem is getting out of hand, but the best minds of Equestria are on it. I was delighted to hear the Frozen Ferals have finally been taken care of. Did you have anything to do with that?"

[kuruka]

Kuruka stared at the sculpture, admiring its craftponyship and worriedly doubting its capabilities. She had only seen magic used in a more practical method, picking up quills, carrying trays and such. Artwork she had known was possible, but animate art? What was she supposed to do with this? She had to admit, Watermark had a point about the wall, but to suggest this as a preferred alternative?
Kuruka looked from the sculpture to the stallion. These new methods had to be just that... new.
"I, uh, yes, um, thank you."
Something about Frozen Ferals. What in Equestria were Frozen Ferals? "I am afraid not. I lived in a very warm climate while with my tribe and only moved here recently. I did train with the tribal army, but they did not permit me to venture against true foes."
Kuruka smirked. Not that it made any difference. She might as well have been fighting monsters with the hostility her trainers had towards her. And then there were those after-hours adventures...

[Watermark]

"Ah I see, a shame, those Gnolls could use thinning down." Watermark laughed, "I guess those feral things were more of a Ponyville problem anyway. Quite busy their militia captain, heard he was the one who axed those monsters that were around here." The tattooed pony mentioned, walking in a circle around Kuruka now, and then leading her around the village, mostly trying to memorize it for later reference. Then, just like that, he fell into the snow, popping up right behind Kuruka again.

"Were you in on that? Because that sounded pretty awesome from all the gossip fillies in Ponyville." He said, then dropping on his back and making a snow Pegasus. He did enjoy the winter so, too bad it had to pass eventually.

[kuruka]

Kuruka nodded. It made sense that the nearest militia captain would cover during an attack. Kuruka jumped when Watermark fell into the snow and performed a kind of pirouette when he started speaking again from behind her.
"Now if I was in on that, why would they send in the militia captain from another town?" She asked.
The mention of the incident reminded Kuruka of Quillson's inquiries the night before... and Aestella. How could she have been so rude to a filly who had meant no harm? She laughed at Watermark's snow pegasus. How someone could enjoy the freezing weather baffled her. The breeze was usually enough to send her indoors. Kuruka knew if she got wet, curiosity or no curiosity, her house would be her next immediate stop.
"You must have just come from Ponyville, unless that is your residence?"

[Watermark]

"Who knows? The way I heard it, there was an army of spider monsters swarming over the Everfree!" Watermark said, melting into the snow, and this time, not reappearing, instead many miniature spiders rose up out of the snow, along with a miniature pony with no features, "And there was their mother, a gigantic creature with scythes for forelegs!" At that a larger creature rose up out of the snow, behind the legion of spiders.

A funny little trick it was, especially as he made the spiders unbearably cute in their style and the pony featureless and tall, "And then the militia captain of Ponyville charged in, hoofs raised!" The snow pony charged forth, using some of the most complicated Kung Fu moves to crush every snow spider in his path. "And then he slew the mother spider!" At that the pony jumped at the mother spider, and was assimilated into it, "And they became the two headed monster of Everfree, rawr!" Watermark reappeared again behind Kuruka, giggling heartily.

"But," He said with an air of humor, "As awesome as that would have been I doubt the Ponyville Militia Captain is all that, that monster part in the end just went to show how ridiculous the idea was that one pony can do it all." He laughed, "Imean, he didn't actually do it all by himself right? Because if he did, that's one scary pony."

[kuruka]

Kuruka watched, grinning, as Watermark put on his little show. These other ponies had no idea how to hoof down their stories through generations. It was already obvious much of the story was exaggerated.
"No, it is not likely he was alone. He must have had at least a part of his militia with him. The spiders are believable, however. My presence here confirms that fact that ponies are worried that monsters are growing more restless." Kuruka frowned, yet another reason she wouldn't be able to bring in her family for a while yet.
She shivered, the cold starting to get to her. "Would you perhaps be interested in coming inside? I have a few recipes from home if you are hungry."

[Watermark]

"Of course, it would be an insult to be offered hospitality and decline, after all - if I do remember the old social nuances." The tattooed pony grinned, dispelling all of the snow monsters with a wave of a hoof and turning completely to Kuruka. At least she was given a name. The only names he was called by the zebras were "child" by the old shaman, "horned demon" by the rest. He chose his own name eventually, but that was after he left the village and started a new life as a new pony.

He acted against his better judgement, usually he would have ported away by now, leaving a bewildered community to wonder what had just gone through their village. But meeting another so like himself got to him, they were a few drops in an ocean, and they needed to watch out for each other.

"Lead the way!"

[kuruka]

Kuruka rolled her eyes. "Old social nuances have no place in my home, Watermark. I must warn you, however, I am not much of a cook."
Kuruka led Watermark through the streets to a small, simple house at the edge of town. The porch was filled with the maps she had collected from Textual Treasures the night before, pinned down by rocks to keep them from blowing away. When the she opened the door, the rug in front of the fireplace was rumpled and tracked in snow had left a few dirt spots on the wood floor. A couch sat up against one wall, facing the fireplace and the small kitchen. A set of two or three stairs next to the couch led to a guest room next to another, longer set of stairs that led to Kuruka's loft bedroom. Kuruka removed her spear and shield and set them in their place above the couch, the only decoration in the house other than small, random memorabilia her siblings had given her before she'd left. A rather realistic-looking spider figurine, a stuffed and tattered zebra doll, a pink, sparkling scarf, and a small library of books on everything from the solar system to Zebra mythology.
Kuruka leafed through an old and worn book with palm leaves for the cover and started following a recipe for tea and Dziriat. "Make yourself at home. The fire should catch and warm us up soon, there are blankets hanging on the other side of the couch and this tea takes only a moment to make."
Kuruka paused to straighten the rug. It had been quite some time since she'd had any company. "So, what do you do now, Watermark? You say you travel? As a merchant? A scout?"

[Watermark]

"Actually I am training a regiment of Fire Mages to be able to properly defend Equestria from monsters. As well as work on other ways to help protect every pony." His grin widened, it was never possible to know when Watermark was serious, and his moments of truth were often just as confusing as his moments of deception, whether purposeful or not.

The pony seemed to have wanted to look at everything all at once, leading to him hopping over from one part of the house to another to stare at everything he could. So many stuff! He also had lots of stuff, but these are stuff that were completely different in nature. His cabin in the bog was organized in a mostly pragmatic manner, except for a small back room where he kept all of his most prized stuff. Mostly a collection of random things from random places, that he collected as memoirs from places he's been to and ponies he's met.

"A spider figurine? I am unfamiliar with this idol." Watermark said in surprise, trying hard to think if the shaman taught him anything about it, but couldn't remember. He must not have been as good a listener as he thought he was. Perhaps Red Charge would know, he made a mental note to ask him when he had the chance.

[kuruka]

Kuruka surprised herself by laughing out loud. It felt good, even though she ended up dropping some of the batter she'd been mixing. "An idol? No, no, no, although my sister would be flattered if she heard you. She is very much interested in insects and arachnids and such. She also happens to be a talented artist." She poked a hole in what was left of the batter, grateful she'd made a little more than she'd intended, and began filling it with the other ingredients. "Cyrah made the scarf, although it is a little too bright to wear while on duty, and Amali gave me her Kuluktchi, the doll. The books are from my brothers."
Kuruka set aside the dough and began mixing the filling. The kettle began to whistle and she rushed to tend to the tea, knocking over the filling bowl in the process. Without thinking, Kuruka extended one of her wings and caught the bowl, using her back hoof to ensure the dough was far enough back from the counter's edge to prevent a repeat of the mistake.
Kuruka winced. She hated having to depend on her wings for anything. All the other zebras could get along without them. Why did she have to use them like some kind of crutch to lean on? Grumbling at herself, she set the filling bowl back on the counter and removed the tea from the fireplace to pour it into two cups.
"Sorry about that. I can be rather clumsy at times and these things have to make up for it." She lifted a wing, staring at it angrily before tucking it back.