Chapter two: Piece of history

A heat on her face and soreness on her back awoke Twilight. As it had the day before, Celestia's sun shone down on her from the skies, chasing away the darkness of her slumber as the day replaced the night.

She remained on her side for a second, feeling her body awaken properly. The hardness of the ground she slept upon proved that she had, indeed, not dreamt what had happened yesterday. Her eyes fluttered open as the Princess of Friendship sat up, stretching her forelegs out and yawning deeply, her wings flaring as bones popped in a few places to relive the tension. Scratching her head slightly, Twilight looked around.

Zecora's bed was empty, the zebra nowhere to be seen, but the cloak hanging from the wall told Twilight that she hadn't ventured far. The hut was strangely quiet, and peaceful, in the early morning sun, the soft rays of light streaking through the gaps of the drawn curtains of animal pelt and fur, the slight dust in the air illuminated by the glow. A little behind Twilight, the fire beneath the cauldron was crackling gently, a green mixture in the black pot bubbling slightly as it warmed. A small wind stirred Twilight's mane, prompting her to look for the source.

As her gaze went to the door, her eyes fell upon the spot where Ulysses had been resting the night before. It was empty, but his things remained. His bedroll rolled up neatly, the duffle bag stood next to it, the strange contraption leaning next to the wall and his staff besides that. With a frown, Twilight came to realise he'd never gone without it before, during their brief time together anyway. Even yesterday when he'd first got here, he'd kept it close at hand.

She trotted over to it, standing before it and picking it up in her magic, curiosity getting the better of her. She looked at it with confusion in her gaze, turning it this way and that. There didn't seem to be anything…special about it, not to her anyway. A maple staff that was roughly two meters in length, beaten and aged all along its length. She could make out cuts and slight dents in the strong wood, what looked like burns at the base. At the tip of the staff was a golden eagle perched atop a golden orb, its wings flared for flight, its tail pointed and its head lowered, as though looking down on that which was below it. The metal was flayed and rusted, as beaten and as scarred as the staff it sat upon.

Twilight just shook her head, dismissing her thoughts. It probably wasn't important, Ulysses's cane most likely, but then she caught sight of something etched along the staff. It looked like words, whittled into the wood. Taking a closer look, Twilight found them to read 'Old Glory.' Twilight Sparkle could only raise her eyebrow.

'Old Glory? Seems Ulysses has some kind of fixation on history. If our 'conversation' yesterday was anything to go by, I wouldn't be surprised.'

Twilight stepped away from his things and turned back into the hut, finding a plate of food and cup of brew on the table at the side of Zecora's home. She trotted over and read the small note besides them.

Good morning Twilight. Something for you when the darkness turns to light.

With a small smile, and a mental note to thank Zecora, Twilight sat and ate the simple meal, her eyes scanning the hut vacantly.

She couldn't stop her thoughts from lingering on what she'd stumbled upon. Potentially, a completely new species and an intelligent on at that. But beyond that though, Ulysses himself troubled her. He seemed emotionally numb, his blank expression and monotone voice only testament to that as she thought about it. Maybe all humans were like that? She somehow doubted it, Ulysses didn't seemed void of all emotion after all. He'd gotten sad and angry last night during and after his story, and he protected and saved her so he was capable of feeling compassion at least. Or some version of it, anyway.

Twilight took a long breath, pushing her thoughts away. She couldn't dwell on what she thought right now, only on what she knew. And that was that she had to get word to Princess Celestia. Quickly finishing her breakfast and standing from the table, she decided it time for Ponyville to meet Ulysses. She got the feeling that trying to get him to Celestia without the small, curious town learning about it by themselves unlikely anyway, and she'd prefer to be able to tell them he wasn't hostile before a certain group of friends could make the assumption.

Twilight trotted towards the door, hearing voices as she drew closer. Pushing the wooden door open, she found Ulysses and Zecora talking to one another, a quiet yet apparently serious conversation at that.

Ulysses stood, his frame leant against one of the trees that surrounded the Shaman's hut. She spotted what looked like a water canteen at his boots, his upper limbs folded again as he looked down at Zecora from his vantage point, the zebra turning her head up slightly to look him in the eye. He had his mask on again, Twilight beginning to wonder if that really was his face, or what he looked like under it.

"You say you left your tribe, the Eclipsed Suns. Followed a road of your own but kept your history, say you follow your symbol still" he was saying, nodding his head at her zebra cutie mark. "I ask the why of it. Why leave your tribe for this place" he asked.

"I left my tribe for my own reasons, for the ingredients we desired could not last all our seasons. I remain here to experiment and think, sending my findings back through a long established link. Though make no mistake, my family and tribe I did not sever. I will not be gone forever." Ulysses cocked his head.

"History says different. Grow accustomed to the forest and the…ponies, nearby. You make friends, possibly a family in the future. Perhaps not a dangerous road you walk, but one with many possibilities. Unforeseen consequences may lie before you" he advised. Zecora seemed to frown.

"You say that finding companionship in these ponies may stray me from my past? I must say, that theory isn't likely to last." Ulysses made no move to acknowledge her argument.

"So you say. What ties do you have to your tribe beyond your history?" Zecora looked to be half curious, half insulted.

"You mean I need more than my past to return to my tribe? Your argument gives me an uneasy vibe" she told him, her voice portraying her slight insult.

"Your road takes you far. Makes history, stories. You know your own road well, but how willing are you to reconnect? Beyond your past to tribe, what else remains there? Family, friends? Something closer? Or just the beginning of your road? I ask the why of it, to deliver a message. Not sure how you'll interpret it, but the message is this: to go back to the old, you'll have to give up the new. Are you willing to do so?" Zecora seemed to be in though, her head bowed as she remained quiet. Ulysses looked up to find Twilight watching them from the door to Zecora's hut. He didn't say anything, nor did he acknowledge her. He just let his eyes set on her for a second, Twilight feeling a little uncomfortable under his emotionless stare.

"I…I see your point Ulysses. I have been growing comfortable amongst these trees" Zecora muttered, more to herself. She looked up to find the human's looking behind her, prompting her to turn and find Twilight watching them. "Ah, Twilight. Nice to see you, so early and bright" she greeted. Twilight smiled.

"Good morning Zecora, you too Ulysses" she said slightly hesitantly. He nodded, very slightly.

"I trust it is time to return to the road" he assumed. Twilight nodded.

"Yes, I've got to get you back to Ponyville…introduce you to everypony" she told him. Ulysses didn't acknowledge her, instead he picked up his canteen from the ground, tied it to his belt and strode back into Zecora's hut. While he gathered his gear, as Twilight presumed, she turned to her zebra friend. "You okay? You seem kinda…quiet, after that" she pointed out.

"I'm fine Twilight, he simply gave me something to think about. Your new friend seemed quiet interested in my chosen rout" Zecora told the Princess of Friendship, her gaze following Ulysses's path into her hut. Twilight tensed a side of her maw in thought.

"Yeah, he seems kind of…I don't know, focused on the past, or history as he'd put it. I'm not sure what to make of him; he seems so transfixed on the 'roads he's walked' and his history, but he also seemed so focused on the road ahead of him, symbols, messages… I get the feeling he's not just intelligent, but…I'm not sure how to put it, semi-profound I guess? He thinks deeply on everything…the history and meaning of everything, how things came to be…I couldn't say much else without studying him further" she mumbled to herself. Zecora simply nodded in silence. "Oh, and is it just me, or is he talking much more…fluently now?" The zebra frowned as she nodded.

"I noticed that too, but he did not answer me. Maybe he'll be more inclined to answer you, if you give him nowhere to flee." Twilight frowned and looked at her zebra friend.

"Nowhere to flee" she repeated. Zecora nodded again.

"Indeed, when I asked him in my home, he just set out on his own. Turned the questions back on me when I shadowed, questioned my past and the road I followed" she explained. Twilight went to answer, only for Ulysses to step from Zecora's hut, duffle bag over his back, contraption hung beneath it while Old Glory was clasped in his claws.

"Prepared to walk" he asked simply. Twilight nodded once, feeling herself slip into 'official mode' when addressing him. She turned to Zecora.

"Thanks for your help Zecora" she said, Zecora offering a nice smile in return.

"Say nothing more, you're always welcome at my door" she assured. Twilight returned the smile and looked up to find Ulysses approaching them. He crouched down before Zecora and pulled something from one of the pockets on his duster.

"A gift, Snakebite Tourniquet. Use it well, use it quick. Soon as the poison strikes, hook it, twist it, fast as blinking." Zecora blinked as she looked down at the note he'd given her, finding a recipe of 'buffalo gourd seeds' and, as he described it, anything which could be used to wrap around the wound to stop the poison from spreading. It also contained a written, and slightly more detailed, copy of the instructions he'd given. She looked up at his straightening form.

"I thank you Ulysses, but I cannot accept these. Last night you were in need, I simply did as any friend would have agreed." Ulysses looked to have not heard her.

"Don't like leaving debts, and you could put them to good use. Carry the history of the Twisted Hairs as you carry the new made from the old" he replied. Zecora looked down at his offering and took a breath before looking up.

"If you insist, how can I resist" she relented. Ulysses simply nodded as he strode past, towards the treeline. Twilight watched him go.

"We'll see you around Zecora" Twilight said quickly before she followed after him. Zecora smiled and nodded, watching her canter after Ulysses.

"An interesting being…interesting times pony folk are in for seeing" Zecora muttered to herself, glancing down at the recipe in her hoof before trotting back to her hut.

Meanwhile, Twilight followed after Ulysses, the human keeping a steady pace as he strode along the path between Ponyville and Zecora's hut with ease, Twilight forced to canter to keep up.

"I though you said you didn't know this rout" Twilight chimed as she followed hastily behind him. He didn't look back.

"Don't, one road to follow, I follow it. When turns come, more paths, you shall lead us, should you know the way" he replied in his heartless tone. Twilight sensed an opportunity.

"You're talking a little easier today." To Twilight's glee, he actually seemed to hear her this time. He turned his head, watching her for a second as he kept walking, before he looked back to their road.

"Never saw the point in talking more than necessary, don't see the reason in it, won't bother asking the why of it. I don't mince words, don't abuse the truth. Not anymore. Not since the Whitelegs" he supplied. Twilight frowned slightly.

"Whitelegs" she repeated, her eyebrow cocked. He nodded once in conformation.

"Tribe of raiders, animals who put too much innocent blood to the sword, who wiped out too much history. I'm glad to see the back of them, and not proud of the history I have with them" he explained, Twilight sensing his words were more of a monolog than anything else.

"You say you have…history, with them" she broached gently. He nodded again.

"Taught them the way of the Bull." He grunted, a bitter and angry tang to the small noise, only amplified by his narrowed eyes. "The ways of the Twisted Hairs. I sullied my history that day, when I taught them the ways of my tribe and lied to them by telling them that they would be accepted into the Legion as honoured warriors." He grunted again, Twilight catching the claws grasping Old Glory tighten. "I dishonoured my history and myself, when I acted as an ambassador to the Whitelegs of Zion. I have vowed to not let history repeat itself, not to repeat my mistakes" he told Twilight, though she felt he was simply saying it out loud and she was there to hear it.

"Ulysses…" Twilight began, unsure where to take her sentence; she wasn't sure how to respond. Instead, she simply decided to remain silent, absorb his information. She was glad that he was opening up, little by little at least, but felt herself growing more and more uncomfortable around him as he spoke of his past. Everything was almost without context, and it left her filling in a lot of the gaps herself. She wasn't having much luck in the endeavour.

She let her gaze wander the wilderness of the Everfree forest, quickly flashing back to Ulysses every now and then, and decided that she needed to set up some kind of real discussion with Ulysses, make sense of everything he'd told her. It wasn't much, but she got the feeling that she wouldn't get more without some careful prying. Her mind brought up one of the terms he'd used: 'of Zion.' Zion? Given the way he'd said it, she guessed it was a place, like what she suspected the 'Divide' to be. She glanced at him when something occurred to her.

"Say, Ulysses, back…where you come from…are there ponies like me? Or Zebras like Zecora" she asked. Until the day she died, Twilight would never be sure if what had passed his face had been a small smile or a trick of the light.

"No. Many strange beasts walk the wastes, the end of the road for too many, but even in my travels I've never crossed paths with a creature such as you" he replied. She noted the ease of his answer, the Princess of Friendship sensing his slight comfort. She was happy to see he was at least settling, or seemed to be at least. She let herself relax a bit at that.

The Alicorn and human soon came across a multitude of forks in the road, six or seven at least. Two forks were beaten of worn; the one Ulysses and Twilight walked now, and the one leading to Ponyville. Ulysses stopped in his tracks, his gaze going to Twilight as he watched her canter along the proper path. He followed after without hurry, his long legs keeping up with Twilight's easily. He almost tripped over her when Twilight suddenly stopped in her tracks, hitting her hoof to her face.

"Oh my gosh" she groaned, grumbling into her hoof "I'm such and idiot" the personal protégé of Princess Celestia said. Ulysses simply recovered from his near stumble and folded his limbs again, keeping Old Glory wrapped in his claws against the crock of his limb.

"Something troubling you" he asked from behind. Twilight nodded, her hoof still to her face.

"Yeah, I just realised why I was in the Everfree forest in the first place. I completely forgot to ask Zecora if she had any kind of potion or tonic that might help me get to sleep" she grumbled. Ulysses watched her with mild interest.

"I may be able to help" he informed. Twilight perked up and looked around at him, but a look of confusion soon found her face.

"Pardon" she asked. Ulysses shifted his stance slightly.

"Twisted Hairs, Twin Mothers, Cesar's Legion, men and women of the Mojave. All have ways of turning the Old World into tools for the new. Twisted Hairs knew of a way to induce sleep, be it through a blowpipe or a medicine bottle. May be able to brew some, some of the plant life I've seen here seems, and acts, similar to the plant life of the Mojave and Arizona." Twilight blinked.

"Really?" Ulysses didn't acknowledge her answer, nor her awe.

"Carry the recipe like I carry history. Every time I use it, the history of the Twisted Hairs is kept alive a little longer" he told her. Twilight voted to ignore his cryptic talk of history for the time being in favour of answering his offer, a small smile creeping along her face.

"I'd be very grateful Ulysses" she told him. He simply gazed at her in his way.

"You're welcome" he replied, pushing from the tree he'd been leaning on and walking ahead. Twilight followed after him, assuming he'd figured the rout by now, but couldn't drop a strange feeling in the back of her head. Something had been wrong with the last part of that conversation…

It bothered her to seemingly no end throughout the rest of their trip, her gaze cast along the floor as she followed him, looking up every now and then to check she wasn't walking into any more Manticor traps, until the soft, golden rays of Equestria's sun cut through the trees of the Everfree. Her thoughts were dashed for a second when she noticed the light and cheer returning to the world around her, even Ulysses seemed a little less…intimidating outside the drab and dark of the Everfree.

"We'll be in Ponyville soon, we should see Fluttershy's cottage in a little while." It hit her like a tonne of bricks, the purple Alicorn suddenly realising why his last words to her had left her bothered somehow. She stopped, slapped her hoof to her face once more and growled in hatred of her own stupidity. "Oh my gosh" she repeated at length. Ulysses turned back again, facing her in the same stance he adopted when they'd stopped before. He didn't bother asking this time. "I'm such an idiot" she grumbled again. "I never even told you my name"she exclaimed. Ulysses watched her with his emotionless expression.

"Didn't need to, Twilight" he answered. One of Twilight's eyes snapped open, bulging slightly, and her gaze snapped up to Ulysses.

"I-you…what?" He remained impassive.

"Don't need to be taught to learn." Twilight practically scholar-gasimed at the proverb, but was mostly distracted by his sudden knowledge.

"You've known my name this whole time?" He nodded instead of answering. "Then, why didn't you say anything, or call me by it at least."

"Didn't seem appropriate" he answered with a monotonous, albeit well spoken, drawl. Twilight simply sighed.

"Well, I might as well formally introduce myself. I'm Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, Princess of Friendship and one of the co-rulers of Equestria" she introduced in an official tone. Ulysses held her gaze for a second.

"Ulysses. Courier. Guardian of the Divide, last tribal of the Twisted Hairs, friend and ally to the Courier" he said in return. More questions sprung to Twilight's mind, but she chased them away once more.

"It's a pleasure to meet you" she said. Ulysses said nothing as he held her gaze, tuning back to their path before long.

"Road is nearing its end. Best we reach it before…" he gazed at her in that empty, steeled, hard way of his as he searched for a word "friendships, are formally created" he said, using the word 'formally' with a slight grain of salt. Twilight simply gave a nod and a tight smile as she bid him lead the way, following after him.

They quickly passed Fluttershy's cottage, finding it empty of the shy caretaker, and continued on to Ponyville.

"I think you'll like Ponyville. It's a really friendly place, once you get past the weirdness that is" she said with a small smile, her memories of her first day here flooding back to her. Ulysses didn't acknowledge her, preferring to look ahead and keep his mind to their path. One of her words seemed to strike something in him though.

"Friendly" he repeated. Twilight didn't like the disbelief in his tone.

"Yeah, why?" They were coming up to the town now, having passed the outskirts and the sign on the road that informed travellers of their destination as the colourful buildings came into view. Ulysses went to answer, only for a rainbow to slam into him.

Twilight gasped as she watched Ulysses get launched back, the human grunting as he rolled almost gracefully to his lower limbs again, Old Glory still in his grip. Twilight's gaze snapped to the source of the rainbow trail.

"Rainbowdash!" The cyan Pegasus didn't turn her gaze from Ulysses.

"Don't you worry Twilight, we got this!" Twilight blinked and looked up to find her friends, all of her friends, gathered in front of her. Applejack and Pinkie had cantered to Rainbow's side while Rarity, Fluttershy and Spike rushed to her.

"Oh Twilight, we were so worried" Fluttershy told her in her version of a worried cry as she flung her fore-legs around Twilight in a hug. The Princess of Friendship was both confused and alarmed.

"What do you mean, why would you be-" She was cut off when Rainbow tumbled past her, her face a little bloody. She snarled and shot back in the direction she'd come. Twilight followed her with her gaze, only to feel herself get picked up in a magical grip.

"Worried" Rarity finished for her as she carried her away in her magic "well, perhaps you GOING MISSING for a day might have something to do with it" she shouted, losing her lady-like demure for a second as she galloped away.

Twilight could only watch as Pinkie, Applejack and Rainbowdash all tried and failed to fight Ulysses, the human almost effortlessly evading their strikes and countering with his own. Old Glory had already met her friend's bodies more than once.

"Put me down" Twilight demanded as she kicked and thrashed, her own magical aura pushing from her horn and dispelling Rarity's spell. She landed on her hooves, teetering slightly as gravity took effect again, and galloped towards Ulysses and her friend's small battle. Something caught her tail and she fell to her front, looking back to find Rarity's glow holding her purple and pink tail in a light blue aura.

"Darling, whatever is the matter" Rarity asked as she cantered to Twilight's side. She gasped before she could get another word out, prompting Twilight to look towards Ulysses again, only to find an orange mass barrelling towards her. Applejack crashed into Twilight.

"Ah'll say" the apple farmer agreed from atop Twilight, hauling herself up and cantering towards the fight again. "Jus' why in the wide, wide world of Equestria would ya'll be so concerned about that varmint" she demanded as she cantered off.

"It did pony-nap you, right" asked Pinkie as she flew weightlessly by before crashing into Spike. Twilight gawped.

"You think he WHAT!?" Rarity stared at her, Fluttershy's hooves going to her mouth.

"You-you mean her didn't-"

"He saved me, you silly filly" Twilight interrupted, half-tempted to bat her fashionista friend across the head.

"Try telling them that" Spike said from the ponies' side. Everypony looked up to find Pinkie charging at Ulysses, screaming her pink mane off, and lung at him. Ulysses let her clutch his staff before he swung her weight around him and flung her away, the pink party pony tumbling though the dirt.

"We've got to stop them, Ulysses is just defending himself but he could seriously hurt them. He ki-" The implication of what Ulysses must have done yesterday hit Twilight like a buck to the guts; he'd killed the manticore that attacked her yesterday. He hadn't just beaten it, he'd killed it in cold blood. What would he do to her friends?

Twilight's and her friend's attention was pulled back to the fight between Ulysses and Pinkie, AJ and RD when they heard a grunt and a scream. Everypony looked up to find Rainbowdash locked with Ulysses, the human's staff behind her neck and under her left fore-leg, holding her in a vicious lock. Applejack pounced from behind, leaping to her friend's aid, only for Ulysses's lower limb to fire out and land in her face, throwing her back again. Pinkie charged forwards again, a good effort at a battle-cry ringing out, and lunged for him. Ulysses released Rainbow elegantly, setting his weight on his right lower limb and turning, letting Old Glory lash out. He hit Pinkie like she was a baseball, the eagle slamming into her temple as he stepped. She went flying into Applejack as the farmer stood, crashing into her with a cloud of dust. The pink mare didn't stand.

Getting from beneath Pinkie, Applejack looked down at her, stunned. She turned her gaze up to him, growling and pulling her hat down with her hoof. With a roar, she charged again. Ulysses barley seemed to register her, setting his staff to the ground and flicking it up; dust was cast into Applejack's eyes, the orange mare instinctively shutting her eyes and raising a hoof to rub to dirt away, she stumbled and fell to her stomach, rolling over and landing next to Rainbowdash, still rubbing at her eyes.

"Dang vermin jus' threw dirt in mah eyes" she growled out "RD, git him!" The blue mare nodded once and was suddenly on her hooves. She shot forwards at Ulysses, who simply raised his left limb, claws outstretched. He caught Rainbow by the throat, the weathermare swinging slightly as she kicked and struggled as he choked her.

"Ulysses" Twilight shouted, her tail still in Rarity's grip, stopping her form intervening. It hadn't occurred to her that she was an Alicorn. "Stop, this is a misunderstanding! She's my friend, don't hurt her!" Ulysses held her gaze for a single second, feeling Rainbow kick and struggle in his grip, her hooves clutching at his extended limb as she tried to free herself.

Applejack had charged again, making use of his distraction, weary for dirty tricks this time, and lunged for the limb holding her friend. When she was about to grab him, his lower limb flashed and his knee rammed into her gut, under her rips and driving up. The wind was pushed from her lungs, her pupils going small as she faltered, and she soon fell to the ground, holding her stomach as breathless, pained gasps spluttered from her maw.

Twilight watched in stunned silence, watching the human so effortlessly disable her friends without even taking off his duffle bag. She swallowed gently.

"U-Ulysses…please" she begged. He turned his gaze from her and stared at the struggling Rainbowdash. He glared at her for a second, observing her movements grow continuously more sluggish as her fore-legs dropped as she stared at him through rapidly closing eyes, her maw foaming slightly as saliva built and pooled out over her chin. His claws opened suddenly and she fell to the ground with a thud, gasping and sucking in air greedily.

Ulysses stood a little away from Twilight and her friends, all seeing to Rainbowdash, AJ and Pinkie Pie. He heard a murmuring and the sounds of approaching bodies. He looked up to find more of them. More of the coloured ponies gathered around him and Twilight's friends. Twilight noticed too, gazing up from a groaning Rainbow to find the ponies of Ponyville watching them. Twilight swallowed once.

"Oh dear…"