Walking across the thickly covered forest grounds, the orange Earth pony looked up from under the hood of his brown cloak. His left hoof fell harder on the dirt as he approached a settlement, a leg fitting boot over the appendage to keep dirt off it. The stallion looked over the simple setup once he came out of the forest and into a clearing looking area. He looked the area over with his yellow orbs through strains of a yellowish-brown mane. He had a saddlebag on his back, the flap latched closed by the weighted design of a pentagram inside a circle with a tail of blue smoke looking magic coming from its center. He took a deep breath, taking in the scent of baked goods and grilled veggies. The center of the village held a beautiful triple tier fountain carved of beautiful marble looking stone. Looks like they know how to make a show in the middle of a forest. He thought while ignoring as some eyes fell upon him.586Please respect copyright.PENANANVDN165fBi
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He made his way up to an outside cafe and took a seat on one of the stumps at a wooden stone top table. "Hello sir, what might you want?" a tan Earth pony questioned as he gave the new pony a menu.586Please respect copyright.PENANAfjdbtcUlS2
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The cloaked pony opened it and looked over the options. Hmm...not a lot of options. Berry salad, vegie taco in a double leaf cheese wrap, carrot burgers, banana hot dogs... he scrutinized the menu for a minute or longer before closing it. "I'll have a double carrot burger with a salad on the side and nut milk to drink."586Please respect copyright.PENANAUMB5Ozl8tM
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"Fine choice sir. I'll be back with it shortly." The waiter took the menu and disappeared inside the building to put in the order.586Please respect copyright.PENANAtmXc9UCN52
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The cloaked pony looked around the quiet town at the mostly Earth ponies with a few Pegasus and Unicorns doing their thing. Doesn't look like there's anything weird here. Then again...magic isn't always obvious at first. He focused his mind on his necklace under his cloak, levitating out a history book on rituals and spells of old, and read while he waited.586Please respect copyright.PENANAy7ayzADmTM
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"Hello there stranger." A female voice greeted, causing the young stallion to look up from his book. His shaded eyes set themselves upon a tan, almost violet, colored Earth pony with a rose red mane and long tail. "Are you new? Not a lot of ponies travel this far out of the Princesses rule."586Please respect copyright.PENANAfMjbSBgGaT
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He glanced at her cutie mark which was an open rose with two petals falling. "I could be new and just passing through." He answered slowly as his eyes met her river blue orbs. "I enjoy traveling, keeps the mind fresh."586Please respect copyright.PENANAZiQ1CtC8ED
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"Oh that's cool." She stepped around an sat across from him, using her tail to set her basket of herbs beside her. "I'm Rose Petal and you are?" she gestured for an answer with a hoof in the air.586Please respect copyright.PENANAXuYoeUsXHq
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"I don't really have a name so call me what you will." He went back to his book as she dropped her hoof with a pout.586Please respect copyright.PENANA5tzuCHrUUU
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"You sound too young to be that grumpy." She looked him over, leaning in to try seeing his face before turning her gaze to his bags. "Hmm...I'll call you Star Mists."586Please respect copyright.PENANA9sWV2nVqf0
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This brought him to lift an eyebrow as well as his gaze from his book. "Star Mists?"586Please respect copyright.PENANAbvJIEO1DiS
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The mare gave an innocent smile. "It's the first thing to come to me. Plus~ you did say I could call you anything."586Please respect copyright.PENANAOHRC7Sy3iv
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I did say that... he sighed, looking back to his book. Note to self, pick words more carefully.586Please respect copyright.PENANADMSfEPvxyd
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"So what brings you here besides traveling around aimlessly?"586Please respect copyright.PENANAA7XxiYXCLM
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"Nothing much...just perhaps a rumor going around that a Unicorn had somehow learned to use the same magic as a phoenix."586Please respect copyright.PENANAXGsMZnqOTo
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"Oh!" she looked stunned then rubbed the back of her head. "I didn't realize Father Void's discovery had reached far enough to draw ponies here to Galen." She lowered her hoof and watched his order be set in front of him. "I'll take a water and a couple daisy biscuits." The waiter nodded and left to get her order, taking the tray with him.586Please respect copyright.PENANAMRPtTNDQt8
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Star Mists looked to her again before using his necklace to levitate the burger up, taking a bite and was careful while speaking with his mouth full. "I hope you're paying for your own order."586Please respect copyright.PENANARMTFRzG441
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Rose Petal nodded, turning her head and waved a hoof in the air dismissively. "Of course I am. Who do you think you're talking to?"586Please respect copyright.PENANAoG7vGxhptZ
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"A pony who has invited herself to my table and keeps talking as I try to eat." He then swallowed and looked up to see her cheeks puffed out some with her sights glaring down on him. "What? Too close to home?"586Please respect copyright.PENANAag6gmgfJlS
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She huffed and put her hooves down on her seat annoyed. "Do you want to hear about Father Void or not?"586Please respect copyright.PENANATQVoEKGXlN
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He swallowed, "sure," and took another bite with his eyes closed, occasionally looking down to his book laying beside his plate.586Please respect copyright.PENANAG8TClhIDrr
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"Father Void came here a couple years ago and said he was on the verge of a breakthrough in magical ability for your average Unicorn. We were unsure what he meant but, once he showed us what he had learned from a spell book, we were in awe. We had never once seen anyone, not even an Alicorn, raise the dead before!" there was a tone of wonderment in her voice and almost sparkles in her eyes. "It was breathtaking and amazing! I mean, who knew the dead could be brought back? I didn't!" she nodded to the waiter as her order came and was set down. She picked up one biscuit with her hooves and took a bite. "So, you see," she said trying to be polite before swallowing. "It wasn't just some average feat of strength. He literally defied the laws of life to bring back a soul to the living."586Please respect copyright.PENANAMlXjuD6DSw
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"Never heard of a pony called Void before." Star Mists commented before swallowing and getting a drink from the straw in his milk. "Did he have a previous name?"586Please respect copyright.PENANAckfseMkkSM
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Rose Petal looked to him curiously then up to the sky as she thought. "Hmm...well I think one mare called him Silvereye."586Please respect copyright.PENANAdXAXmRMtiF
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"Any idea why he'd change his name?"586Please respect copyright.PENANALEIYbGKAHV
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She shook her head. "No idea but I think he did it because of his breakthrough. He changed his name to represent his new found strength to end suffering for ponies who lose a loved one." She finished off the rest of the first biscuit. "Or that's my guess anyways." She explained with her mouth full.586Please respect copyright.PENANA8ropOWiXnQ
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"That's weird," he commented before going quiet as he focused on his sandwich and book.586Please respect copyright.PENANAe24dqZk6Jg
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The silence lingered between them until both had finished eating and their drinks almost all gone. Finally, Rose Petal couldn't take the silence anymore and spoke up. "Would you like to meet Father Void?" Star Mists looked up from his book, finishing his milk and gave a nod. "Great! I'll go make sure he has time today to meet with us." she exclaimed excitedly as she jumped to her hooves. "You are going to be so impressed by him! He's even greater than the Princesses!" she then took off towards the town's temple at its head. He turned around to watch where she was going briefly then returned to his book, paying for both his meal and hers since she had run out on the check.586Please respect copyright.PENANAQcnrOX7mho