Chapter 12 pt. 2: A Vision of The Future

"So, you're Legion." Skipper noted and paced about the cave. The fire in the room created tall shadows. Hayseed and Lady where nowhere to be found and Grandpa laid in his cot still unconscious but alive.

Verity was skeptical of Skipper because it proved Obsidian Shine was not completely lying. If Skipper knew about the number station then now was the time to get answers.

"Skipper. Can I ask you something?" Artemis asked slowly. The old stallion stop his pacing and turned to her. Examining her with his eyeless face.

"About what?" He grumbled. Artemis swallowed.

"The number station...."

Skipper was quiet, dead quiet. He did not move, only a minute later did he stir. He sighed and sat down. "The number station...." He said in a regretful tone.

"Did you find it?" She asked. This was the moment whether Obsidian Shine was proven true or false.

"I... I did. I found it." He confessed, though he did not sound proud of it.

"What was it?" Artemis asked intrigued.

"Awful."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Artemis asked confused.

"I went about it all wrong. When I found it, I asked it for the future. To know the future and it gave me the future. I saw everything, present and future. It was so furious, I had to gouge my eyes out or I would have went insane." He was shaken after his recounting.

Skipper had found the station, asked it for the future and he saw the entire future up to when he gouged out his own eyes to stop the insanity. Artemis felt shocked to her core. Even Verity looked stunned.

"So it's actually real." Verity commented.

"Where is the station?" Artemis asked.

Skipper looked down and shook his head. "I got lucky, or unlucky. I was able to siphon a burst from it. Everyday I wish I could have stopped myself." He said mournfully. "I also saw you Artemis."

Artemis raised an eyebrow intrigued. "You, saw me?"

"I saw you while the station burst flooded my mind. I knew you would end up in this park and I had to help you. You're destiny is very important." Skipper said mysteriously.

"My destiny? I'm no hero Skipper."

Skipper only walked over to her and gently put a hoof to her face. Up close his age became more present. He was old, not old as Grandpa. Give or take twenty years. His horn flashed in the blink of an eye.

"I will show you." He said and activated his spell. A second later they were gone. Teleported to a location of Skipper's choosing. Artemis opened her eyes and she was at the peak of a mountain. Skipper stood by her side and silently pointed his hoof outward and Artemis saw it...

Away from the mountain, beyond packs of clouds, rolling hills, sprawling ruins, tall trees, and sandy deserts it stood. A great wall spanning a massive chasm, no a river. This wall held the river. To the north side of the wall she saw a civilization. It was different from the Legion. Ponies working and building a community, farming, teaching, trading and they needed power to build their growing nation.

Then Artemis's gaze turned to the south and she saw the Dreadsaw Legion. She saw slaves toiling in fields under their brutal masters, and her mother. She saw ponies and griffons lording over Gryphondale then Artemis saw something in the distance, it was obscured but massive. She felt the Legion's need for power. To fuel their conquest, they needed the wall.

"War is coming Artemis. The north and south will fight for Hoofer Dam, and the winner of this battle will decide the fate of Equestria. I've seen you in the middle of it all. You are the fulcrum of this battle Artemis."

Artemis was in awe of this Hoofer Dam and terrified equally. "How? Why me?" She asked.

"Because it is destiny. I know not how this battle ends, I took my vision before the end. I could not bare knowing. But I do know the Legion will find the number station and they will use it for evil. You must find it and destroy it."

"H, how do I do that?"

"I know where you can start, go to Fillydelphia to the north. Find the lair of the pink one. There will you find a clue. The number station can only be manifested by doing certain things in this world, and you are that catalyst that will make them happen."

"What if I can't do it?"

"You must, if the Legion gets the station then we will be at their mercy."

Artemis grimaced. Sometimes you sacrifice to much and in the end it would not be worth it. What would have to happen? Would people have to die? What was going to manifest this station and in the end, would it be worth it?"

"Lastly Artemis. When you find the number station, activate it through a radio. Your pipbuck will suffice. Tune into the radio's signal and ask your question very very specifically. This is my warning, Celestiaspeed Artemis." He spoke mysteriously but his sense of urgency was very present.

Before Artemis could ask a final question everything became white and noiseless. Verity looked at Artemis with a worried look. Skipper's spell had not teleported her, instead she became still and expressionless. Her eyes were blank and her breathing was slow. Verity was beginning to worry when Artemis returned from her out-of-body experience.

Artemis sprang to life in her body. She gasped being back in her body. Then she realized she had been drooling. She wiped her beak and looked at Verity. He assumed his steely common expression.

"Now you have your mission, go to Fillydelphia. Find the lair of the pink one and you will find your next clue." Skipper ordered.

"We can't just leave. We still have to rescue Aroma, Hans and the others." Artemis said as she fixed her feathers.

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Verity interjected.

Skipper shook his head. "They're irrelevant. If you waste time saving them then the Legion will be that much closer to finding the number station. If they find it then countless innocents will perish."

"I'm not leaving my friends. End of story." Artemis replied sternly.

Skipper grunted and teleported away in a flash.

Artemis let out a breath. Dammit, was Skipper mad? But then again it didn't matter. She knew what they had to do. They had to make a sojourn to Fillydelphia, up north. Find the lair of the pink one. The pink one? But before anything they were going to crush the White Hooves and rescue their friends.

“Artemis what is going on?” Verity asked irritated. Artemis sat down to explain. But before she opened her mouth thoughts rushed into her head.

“What if Verity is following me so he can lead the Legion to the number station?! Maybe he's doing it on purpose but then again maybe destiny is guiding him.” She thought to herself.

Artemis did not like this “path” laid out for people. It made fate seem like a great shackle that everyone was attached to following it for all their days. Rebellion was impossible, you couldn't just not have a destiny. If this was the case then free will was a bold faced lie. You didn't have free will you were a prisoner to fate and-

“Artemis!” Verity snapped. She had gotten lost in her thoughts! Again!

“Tell me, what's going on, please.” He asked slowly.

Artemis figured if she was going to find the station in the end then why the hell lie right?

“”Verity. There's dam, it's like a massive power plant. A civilization in the north and the Legion to the south are going to have a war over control of Hoofer Dam. Skipper told me that I will find the number station and I must destroy it because the Legion will find it as well and use it for their conquest.” Artemis huffed and puffed after finishing her story.

Verity looked unsurprised. He had his usual steely look.

“...” Verity ran a talon on the dirt floor casually and looked at her.

Artemis didn't know what to say. She really expected him to have some snide or cruel comment. As the pause continued Artemis rubbed the back of her head uneasily.

“And you thought I was a Legion spy.” He said in a dour tone.

“N,n, no it's like that. I just.”

Verity closed his eyes and clenched his hand as if he were in pain. A expression of pain and grief crossed his face. "Artemis I didn't join you because you're my superior. I, I joined you because I had nowhere else to go.” He confessed and looked away in shame.

Artemis gently put a hand on his shoulder. “What do you mean?” She asked softly, not patronizing him.

Verity couldn't look at her when he spoke. His tone was one of sadness mixed with anguish.“When you bested me in that alley I had sullied the Legion. I had been beaten by, by a woman. I lost everything my status, my home, my wives, all of it. I left before anyone found out but I know the truth and I must carry that shame until the end of my days.”

Artemis tried to plan her next words carefully to avoid further upsetting him. She wondered what a kind pony like Aroma would do. Artemis wrapped her arms around Verity and gave him a hug. It wasn't soft and sweet like Aroma's hugs, her hugs were clunky and awkward.

“There's nothing to be ashamed of Verity.” Artemis said. Verity turned his head to her.

“You don't understand. Women are...inferior, to be bested by one is to be considered weak.” He was distraught and upset.

Artemis kept one arm around him. She moved to meet his stare. She was trying to console him but in order for him to move forward she had to break this misogynistic mindset.

“Verity.” Artemis began in a calm but commanding tone. “This Legion ethic has had you believe women are cattle to just have children. But we're not, we are just as capable and smart as men. Think about it, tons of the brightest minds in history were women, the ministry mares, Celestia, Luna, the Lightbringer.”

Verity was speechless. Artemis just wanted to let him know that just because it was Legion doctrine that women were property didn't mean it was nature. Artemis brought her arm back to her person.

“I, I.” Verity stammered. “You are truly an anomaly Artemis.”

It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. Maybe Verity can now see females as equals rather than baby incubators with a single purpose. Now it was time to make a plan to crush the White Hooves and rescue the others. Without any  preception Verity kissed Artemis. She sprang back interrupting him.

“What the hell Verity?” Artemis demanded.

Verity looked embarrassed and confused.

“But I thought, I thought we were.” He stuttered nervously.

Artemis wiped her beak. “I don't know how the Legion does relationships but I don't do it like that.”

“Oh no, I'm so sorry.” Verity was embarrassed.

Now Artemis felt bad. Verity just thought it was normal, cultural differences. Besides it's not like Verity was a bad choice of a man. He was even easy on the eyes but, just not right now. Consult Hans first, but dammit they were wasting time!

“Look Verity, not now. I'm not saying no but just let me think about it. Okay?” Artemis said sheepishly.

Verity nodded and without warning fled the cave. Before Artemis could stop him he flew off. To the White Hooves camp? Gryphondale? Sheesh it's not like Artemis told him no!

“Fuuuuuu-!” Artemis screamed but before her scream took flight two voices interrupted her.

A couple yards away stood two green unicorn mares. Both wore elegant businesspony attire and had haughty manes.

“Well sister it looks like Artemis Arrow is in quite the predicament hmm?” The green mare asked her sister.

“Yes, looks like she better find Verity before the Legion finds him.”

Oddly, Artemis was the only person that seemed to notice them. The other villagers walked about casually.“That's correct sister, the Legion on it's way to crush the White Hooves.”

They seemed off or alien. Something was undoubtedly wrong about them. The way the held conversations with each other. Not to mention how out of place they looked among the tribals.

“Yet I wonder why she continues to tarry.”

“Maybe she's not as sharp as we thought sister.”

“How would she ever find the number station?”

“Hey.” Artemis spoke. The two mares stopped and stared plainly at her, expressionless. “Who are you two?” She asked.

They looked to each other for a second.

“You needn't worry about us Artemis. Just be on your way before the Legion murders your friends.”

“Yes Artemis we're just observing.” The other sister commented.

Artemis blinked and they were gone. What the hell? Was this about the number station? This had bad written all over it, all over and written in the fine print and whatever space was left.

Artemis blinked a few more times. Seeing they were gone from sight she gave a rough gulp and flew off after Verity to the White Hooves camp.

Next Chapter: Chapter 12 pt. 3 - Crush The White Hooves Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 53 Minutes