+The camels sometimes know the future. But they need to understand what is to come fully. We have genetic memory secrets born into our hearts and minds thanks to the past. Those moments we see that dream we dream of those futures and sometimes most become leaders. This time though a leader of a town named Hard Rock is dealing with the heart of the matter. Pinda is a story known and a story that no one shall know. This day Pinda will become the leader he is needed to be.

Plando writes history before his death.

________________________________

The hero returns

It’s been at least three years since Ruby left. I remember those days when I met her and she helped me learn to be a leader. I remember her friends and she didn’t get along so well even back then. They didn’t treat her well and I now see when this war is over and whatever that creature in the orb is unleashed we will have to put her to the gun. I stand beside my new wife Porchina. I married her during these three years. She has been helpful to me for a long time. We can’t have children together. But she has been my rock and helped me through so much.

We stand with the others as we wait for the hero to return. I look down at my two children, the zebras I adopted Porcina and I have raised them to be lovely young mares. They have been waiting for the hero to return so they can have someone to cheer about. I turn my head to see the Rainfall project and the red orb floating beside it.

“My darling.”

I turn my head to look at Porchina and a gentle smile comes over my face. I remember when she asked me to marry her and I didn’t hesitate. She told me her reason was for what Ruby did to what she left behind in Dream Valley. I wonder if Ruby didn’t destroy whatever she left in Dream Valley she would be like this towards me. I look back to the orb and then down at my young teenage adopted zebra daughters.

“Porchina when the hero comes back. I want you and them to stay on this island. Don’t come back to the mainland. If I don’t return to you please don’t be upset with me.”

Porchina chuckles.

“Dear I won’t be listening and you know our girls will not let you hear the end of it if you fall during this war.”

I turn my head to my girls who are staring at me and I just chuckle. I knew full well I would never be able to be without them during this war.

“Here they come!!”

I look down at my daughter Gentle Song. I didn’t name them after zebras but a camel. I turn to look at her hoof to see the airship coming down. It’s been three years since that airship left and now it’s returning. The allies that Ruby made have been showing up in droves many by the days and sometimes by the months. We have an army now and so does the king himself. That moment we see the ending of this war we will know the fate of Ruby. It took a while for them to get back and they land the entire ability to fly for the airship explodes off we all gasp.

“How did they keep that airship flying after so long?”

It was an excellent question to ask. I never thought I would be the one asking this question myself. It’s going to take some time for them to come out of the airship and be able to do anything. The moment you try to learn what is to come I worry more about what is to come and someday I will know if this war ends with peace rather than death. I look back at everything which has happened these past three years. It wasn’t much of three years for me. I mainly stayed around Hard Rock. But I am sure those who read this when Beezen gets the story completed then it will be best to do so. I look back and think.

_____________________________________

The day Goldie died

The alarm inside the town rings. It’s the fire alarm. I worry about what is happening. I quickly run towards the room of my two zebra daughters. The moment I saw them they were fast asleep because I was worried. I look out the window and Goldie's bar is in flames. I worry significantly about what is about to happen.

I quickly head outside to hear what Inyanga says about Dunewalker. The moment I learned this, Dunewalker was banished after everything that had happened. I worry about what is to happen and then many stories have gone on. It’s been so long three years gone by I was around for those three years. I remember those days and why I was asked to represent Hard Rock.

These three years the poor heroes do so much. Then they leave to find Ruby. I head back home and then I stand there watching them go. It’s like clockwork. I watch them get ready to leave. I understand Ruby is alive and I know soon when the NCA shows up and they show up later in my life. Soon I am going to see what is to come.

_____________________

The start of the three years is the first year.

I watch while they leave and I know full well when the Storm King learns of them leaving he will be happy. But I noticed something odd. I see him standing right beside all of us. I turn my head to look at the king. He turns to look at me with a smile forming on his face.

“Ah hello, great leader Pinda. It must be strange to you. I am here, let me guess you’re going to ask the same questions Cranberry asked? Then allow me to say what I said to them. The orb in my chest changed me more than you know. I hear the whispers of all those who touched it, including some of the most awful villains ever. Wheel Tread is even inside this orb. The real Wheel Tread the one who vanished years ago. I know how my war is going to end and the battle is going to end soon.”

I am confused so this Howling dance has changed him. I wonder why it’s taken so long for him to change and take an orb to change. The moment that time ends and I wonder what that time is. He and I looked each other in the eyes. I see what is going to happen. He knows what is going to happen.

“Before the war starts the NCA is going to catch wind of what is going on here and we all know what will happen then Pinda.”

I sigh I know full well what will happen. They will try to force their views on this land and be pushed out. Even worse though they will send us a judge to deal with Ruby. Ruby will not get the peace she wants. She will die again and we all know fully she will die.

“Yes, I know full well what will happen. It won’t be good for either of you or Ruby. I hope we can keep Wheel Tread long enough to face the crimes he has caused.”

The Storm King stares at me for a moment and chuckles.

“He hasn’t caused any crimes, Pinda. Wanting to create a world that doesn’t need heroes or villains is a world we should all strive towards. We all know though heroes will be needed in twenty years if the rumors are correct he is returning.”

Who is returning and he is not wrong we should strive for a world without heroes or villains. There will never be a world like that in this dead slowly healing world. This land will never have the water return. Even if it does it will take years or lifetimes for this desert to return to its former glory.

“Grogar you mean? I worry about this because there have been stories of a goat appearing to many. He showed up in a place called Wymarnic and he knows no one is going to even try to stop him. It’s going to become harder for us to stop him and we all know this. We have to work together and it means putting you three to death. Then so be it.”

I regret saying those words to the king. He just smiles at me. I knew full well he knew his fate. No matter what happens a villain is going to win this war and it’s not going to be any of the villains I see here. The judges of the stars are going to go fight with Grogar. We even know Beezen will join to fight us.

I wonder what judges will lose their lives when it’s to come. Watch the airship leave over the horizon. I stay there longer than the others and just watch. The Storm King leaves after he sees the ship vanish; he knows Ruby is alive and he is not even going to tell Wheel Tread. I look towards the project Rainfall and see the orb of death or whatever it’s in there slowly growing larger.

'Do you know what is floating around in the project?’

The King looks over to the Rainfall project and sighs, shaking his head.

“He found an old zebra summoning spell and it’s the result. Smoke Pipe and his friends confronted him about it, and now we have no idea what is in there. Wheel Tread is lost and I worry when Ruby returns he will lose it and cause another great war but on a smaller scale here in this land.”

I worry he is correct that there is going to be a war soon but on a smaller scale than the war which ended the world. I see it getting worse and worse when it comes down to it. A moment of truth when it entirely comes down to it.

“ I will do what I can to keep myself from losing sight of the real truth.”

The Storm King looks over to Porchina and then smirks at me.

“Keep a close eye on that pig. She will do everything to make you happy. The other side of her is in Dream Valley still trying to make herself more beautiful. Keep her close and she will help you through everything. Marry her even if I see how you look at her and you will be happy for the rest of your life.”

I stare at the king. Why would I marry a former villain? I look over to Porchina. She is taking care of my zebra daughters and a gentle smile forms across my face. I knew full well she has been great for the girls and I know sooner or later I would ask her. The leaders of the Desert Dwellers are here and more of them are now here. The ones that didn’t show up during the old meeting.

“Pinda I will give one last piece of advice. Don’t trust the order of Mimic. The order has caused more harm than good. Have you ever deeply thought if they can see the future they would know what is going to happen? Truthfully the Golden Horse shows of Mimic never left Dream Valley. If Ruby finds them she will destroy them and she will learn the real threat. Of course, they’re too integrated into this world. It would be another hero to fight them. That hero may never show.”

The order of Mmic always felt like they have more than they say. I have made friends with some of the camels in the order of Mimic and they have told me the order is not always looking out for us or others. When it comes down to it they will turn on us and we all know this.

“I better get back to Hard Rock sir King. What are you going to do with your minions or the judges? Will you try to remove them from anything or will they never listen to Wheel Tread and just you?’

The king sighs.

“Some of the judges refuse to do anything to the citizens of this desert. They will never harm anyone and they’re willing to allow the resistance to gain a foothold. Many of them know their future; they have seen it in the stars. The stars who bring peace are now waking back up. But it will take Ruby or another hero to find the avatar of both sides of the stars. They will either fight to the death or come together in peace.”

I look over at many citizens of this land. Most of them are missing their shadows and those who lose their shadows are meant to get sick and maybe even die. The hope though has caused them to be ready to fight even without them.

“What about the ones who lost their shadows?”

The King just looks at those who lost their shadows. This was before what Dunewalker did and caused the release of the shadows. A moment of this is what caused many of us to rise and what Dunewalker was willing to do.

“Those who lost their Shadows by the creatures of Dream Valley of old it’s what we will see in the end. There are stories of many who are coming from other lands. Detrot is a group of heroes who have cybernetics. It’s gotten to the point so many will come so many who are called heroes. They will remove the name hero from themselves and then betray Ruby.”

I sighed, closing my eyes I knew full well what it meant. It’s gotten to the point so many things are going to backstab the poor Ruby. The Storm King’s guards come to him and they bow their heads to me and the Storm King smiles.

“Take care Pinda. If a battle starts before the war it won’t be my doing. It will be because of Wheel Treads' stupidity. It’s gotten to the point many will never understand what he wants. If he does I am sorry I can no longer stop him. I hope someday his story will be told and many will understand why he did what he did.”

He just leaves after he says those words. I watch him pat the heads of many little ones. I could see in his eyes he cared deeply for those young. I wanted to raise the defense of my little fillies. I couldn’t just stand there and not say anything. But they aren’t scared of him. I watched him leave till he vanished from sight. Porchina puts her hoof on my leg looking my vision down at her and giving a smile.

“Come, my friend, let’s head back and become the leaders we are meant to be of a broken town in a broken land.”

I call my daughters who keep watching the path the airship left. Sooner or later if her journey works, she will come this way again. I worry though what will happen to the poor bug when she returns. Someday she will lose her heart and we will see her heart being removed from those who refuse to defend her.

“Let's go girls.”

The two zebras turn and trot after me. We head back home and I look back to the dock. I wonder what will happen. As I look back though I notice many of the orders of Mimic. I have never seen so many of them in one spot. I wonder what they get out of this and what will happen when the time comes.

______________________

The first year

The first year honestly is the slowest of them. Even though this is the year Dunewalker had the sand dream. I remember it like it was yesterday. It’s rare when we have sand dreams and I remember it like yesterday. She went on a journey and she came to see me.

The room was dark. I did this a lot lately sitting in the space of the darkness to think. When she came in I turned the light on and aimed my gun at her. She quickly backed up and I knew full well I would regret doing what I just did to her and it’s not going to be easy to ever forgive myself for aiming my gun at her.

“WHOA!! I am just here to tell you I had a Sand Dream.”

I hear the word a sand dream. I lower my pistol back on the desk looking at her. I couldn’t buy anything. She said she has lied too much to us and even betrayed us a bit too much. I take a deep breath sighing.

“A sand dream? Dunewalker, your kind has lied so many times. I doubt I can trust you to give me a good reason not to shoot you and kill you like the trash you are.”

From the look on her face, she was telling the whole truth but it was hard to buy it. Very hard to buy it these days. It's no longer going to be easy to do anything. The moment things get this way, it will get harder to do anything.

“Pinda I wish I could go into everything with you. If you knew about my dream, I felt you could help Black Rain and her community.”

Finally using the name of my wife. Well in the words of a camel, we have many wives. I am still married to her even to this day as I write this down. She has come to accept I won’t love her as much as I used to. I couldn’t after she removed the ability to have children to spite me but I learned her reasons. It wasn’t just to spite me it was because fully it would have killed her if she did have children.

“Black rain and I haven’t talked since I banished her. I still regret banishing her. I had no choice at the time. You just came to tell me about your dream? You will just tell me about it and then you will leave and never return?”

She gave me a quick nod

“I will leave just please promise me to take in the community from the town of the exiles if they come down this way. One of them is my wife. She needs to survive. So does our child so the curse of the Dunewalker will fully break.”

She has a wife now? Did she finally find the one who would love her? I worry about what will happen when I meet her. I hope when I do I will respect her for what she has done. I hope she is someone I can respect like I used to respect Dunewalker.

“But the only way to break the spell is to fight to the death and prove yourself. Dune in your dream, did you see yourself doing something which upsets you so much you’re willing to do everything you can to stop it?”

She explained to me her dream. She is going to face the judges all herself in this dream? I hope she understands she won’t come back from this so quickly. It’s going to be hard for her to accept it.

“I see so you betray or so you think you do. You’re going to pull a fast one to destroy the water and the city. Then you’re going to try to weaken the judges and Wheel Tread. I hope it doesn’t backfire on you Dunewalker. Now please I don’t want to see your face again.”

Those words will always haunt me. I knew even then if she beat the curse. There would be no way we could ever do a Dunewalker curse again. The Dunewalker line would be entirely dead because of this dream. I had one last question to ask her though.

“Dune before you leave. I want to know, do you regret anything?”

From the look on her face, she was having a hard time speaking. I have known Dunewalker for many years and we have grown up together in some paths. Well, not fully the Dunewalkers before used to be part of my family. Now they have been fully removed and forced out of the family bloodline.

“I wish I could tell you I regretted everything. I can't. I don't regret feeling like I did with Ruby. I regret hurting her. Just my pride and my hatred for heroes were too much at the time. I know full well that if I could go back I would have stopped myself.”

She turns to leave and looks back at me—so much stress on my shoulders these days. I would have done anything just to relax and enjoy these days. I could no longer. It was getting harder just to respect the ending story. The final words I heard from her before all this went down helped me a lot that day.

“Stay strong Pinda. Please stay strong.”

Just those little words made me feel I could do anything. It made me feel strong and happy. I could no longer see the stress in my heart. I thought through the focus that took a lot from me those days. I had to protect the entire town from Wheel Tread. The Storm King could only do so much and it was hard for him to do anything.

As the hours went by I was talking to Porchina. It was just regular everyday talk. I had many of Dunewalkers old files she kept since she trained a lot of the guards. I had to go through to see who I could trust. Porchina did what she could to help me by looking through them.

“I have spoken to all these guards, Pinda. They have agreed not to help Wheel Tread or The Storm King. Why do you feel so many of them are going to turn on you? Is this some issue with being a camel I am unsure of?”

I chuckle weakly

“It’s more of how camels work. One who has betrayed us before. Tends to do much. This Dunewalker curse has been a thorn in the side of the camels for years. I can no longer sit by as the name of the Dunewalker worries us.”

Porchina sighs coming off her chair and putting her hoof hand on my leg. I could tell from the look in her eyes. She knew I can’t just keep this hatred up for long. The only way we could was if we camels Allowed it to.

“Pinda this issue with your race needs to end. Your race is very untrusting. I can understand the genetic memory of always thinking everyone is going to turn on you after your issues with the zebras.”

I wanted to speak to push a counter to what she was saying. But truthfully she is not wrong. She is not bad at all. These days we camels have caused many of our problems. But before I could get the words out I noticed the names of Dunewalker changing. Porchina even noticed the name glowed and it changed from Dunewalker to her real name Jewel.

“Pinda….what does this mean?”

I look over to Porchina with a smile on my face.

“The Dunewalker curse is broken; it means she is dead.”

I felt tears coming down my face. Why am I crying? Is it because she finally freed her family from the curse? I knew she would or someone would have sooner or later. But the fact she is now dead I can never see her again. I know there is a chance she could have survived if her real soul is strong enough.

“Why the tears?”

I just offer a weak smile

“She proved to herself now that her family will not be banished like she was. She should have never been banished, to begin with, just my kind being too harsh to a Dunealker.”

Truthfully we should have never treated Dunewalkers like trash I never wanted to. A few days after I met Dunewalkers wife. I never expected her to marry a dragon. A few months past I allowed Dunewalker’s family to live here and we had a statue of Dunewalker built. I went to the podium to speak on behalf of Dunewalker and her wife Anys. I look over at the pregnant dragon. I learned they mixed their eggs with a male and then she got an egg. I began to speak.

“We are gathered here for the one known as Desert Jewel formerly known as Dunewalker. We have welcomed her widow and her family here to honor her. We had to tell her the truth about what Dunewalker was doing to free her family from the curse. I wish we could have stopped her but now the Dunewalker curse will never have another soul again.”

We gave Dunewalkers an old home for her wife. We knew full well I couldn’t keep a poor expecting mother from being given her wife's former home. But what’s funny in a year from now many things are going to change.

_____________________

The second year new friends and an old friend

This is surprising. Things have changed a lot over the past few months. It’s already the middle of the year. Things were slow during the early months of the year. We heard stories of strange radio messages coming to the island. We have been told to expect new people pretty soon. So before the end of the year, I go outside to get ready to leave.

“Porchina we are about ready to leave.”

I hear steps behind me turning around.

“Hello, Pinda.”

I look at the camel who is covering herself. She took her hood off and I couldn’t believe who it was. I spoke to her and learned more about who it was. The camel left to take care of some problems and other things.

I gather Porchina, allowing my two girls to fend for themselves for the next few days. It takes a few days to get to Kludgetown but during that time. We ran into more of the Desert Dwellers ones who are now learning about what is going on. We are about to have another meeting before Ruby returns if she returns.

A few days later we get to the docks of the island. I stood by Cranberry. She has changed a lot since days and years went on. She refuses to get out of her armor. Rex and Ingyana have many children beside them. They have become helpful on this island and the other heroes have shown up. For some reason, Roll Roll and Hawk are here. But the heroes refuse to speak again. I think again they had another falling out.

“I am only here because of… information about Ruby.”

I heard the friends say Cranberry is only here because of information about Ruby.

“She could die for all I care.”

I sigh hearing those words from Hawk. I am happy they went silent when the first airship came into view. I learned Ruby made many friends on her journey. Razzie and many other leaders came through for us. Day after day an entire army followed. Many were from a place called junk island the Upholi or what they called themselves.

Then a few days before the end of the year. I heard a scream from Porchin. I ran into the room I gave her and we talked about what she felt.

“Ruby… killed the evil side of me I left in Dream Valley or one of the heroes did. All I did in the past is now gone. It will still haunt me and I will never be free from guilt. But now… I won’t feel the hate fill me each day for wanting more beauty.”

Then I did what I thought was right. Porchina and I got married before the end of the year. It was a small wedding and the heroes refused to show up. Then on our wedding night, I heard a knock on the door. I went downstairs to open the door. Standing there is an NCR soldier. One of the platoons of NCA showed up and now I have to worry about them. Standing with them is a judge they brought with them.

“Greetings you must be Pinda. I have come to talk to you about what the others have wanted me to do. The NCA will not try to control your land.”

I knew ahead of time it was a lie. The NCA will try so hard to get a foothold in this land. But they came because the leaders want to put Ruby on trial when the war is over. If she refuses I learned her friends will be put on trial for helping her.

“So the only way to save her friends from their fates. She has to give up herself and allow you and your friends to prove she did what she did not want to help. But to want to control the idea of hope?”

The judge nods.

“Yes, frankly how I feel I would just let her be the hero or guardian she wants to be. But after what Scootalo did and what Security and all the other heroes did. The NCA and other leaders are tired of the everyday citizen wanting to look at them like they’re an issue. The NCA hasn’t had a simple issue since the end of the Hardliner problem. So many leaders want to help their citizens. But a hero being around it will cause them to rise when they feel slighted just a bit.”

Then the year ended.

___________________

Final year NCA and the hero returns.

During the final year before the hero returns. We got all the allies Ruby made even for some reason Majesty showed up she knew full well and we all sat in one room to talk. The one to speak first though is Rose, a strange zebra from a place called Detrot. She and her friends have strange cybernetics placed in their bodies. She had something with her called the Frozen Clock.

“I am not part of this land but you need to understand. We can’t allow Wheel Tread to leave this time. He has had a hoof in many things. But the issue many don’t seem to speak about is Grogar.”

Many began to argue they hated the fact the NCA was here and one of them tried to arrest Hawk for what she did in the past. But the judge who I learned is named Gavel is a well-known judge for what he's done in the past for the Hardliners. He saved some from being put to death. But when it came to Hawk.

“The past is over soldier and she had every right to do what she did. The war could have ended with ones like her. But even though no one listened. It’s become to the point no one ever will. My ancestor was part of her group. I read his journals of what he did and we learned more about why the war ended so poorly so let her go she is free.”

Hawk’s cams stare at the pony; they both look at each other and she begins to talk to the descendant of her former friend. But it turns out he was not only an old friend. It turns out he was even family to her. Because his great great grandfather married her sister. Hawk from what I learned that day felt happier because she knew a family for her is out there. She has a family who follows how she felt.

So many spoke and then during it, we got a message Ruby was not only returning she was at least a day away. When I went outside to look at the stars. I noticed a change. There are now the stars of hope and peace. They work in unison so what the hero did worked.

“So… what she set out to do worked. I hope you can get her to agree to go along with the trial. I don’t want to put her friends on death row if I can help it.”

I turn my head to look at Gavel.

“I will convince her we all will. She will be told to protect her friends and she will have to be put to death after the war is over.”

Gavel nodded and the next day we waited for the hero to return. Then the memory ends and when it ends I am face to face with Ruby. The poor creature has been through so much. I could tell in her eyes she was not the same Ruby I knew.

“Ruby, we must talk.”

I felt so bad for her that she returned and now I have to tell her she is going to be put on trial when the war is over. I am not looking forward to this conversation.

Max level

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