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In an attempt to justify yourself, you tell Tsu-Ko that the more you learn about this place, the better; you are an explorer, after all, and any knowledge has the potential to prove useful later.
Tsu-Ko: "So you say, but your hairpin tells a different story."
Ignoring that, you decide to make your way over the next field, and approach the unicorn mare working there. As your hooves sink into the shallow water, a refreshing coolness soaks in through your legs.
At the sound of light splashing coming her way, the unicorn levitates her digging tool down into a floating bucket of weeds, and turns to greet your party with a quizzical expression.
Unicorn: "Good morning?"
You greet the unicorn in kind, and take a moment to introduce yourself, before asking if the nearby kobold belongs to her. At the mention of the kobold, her eyes light up.
Unicorn: "My name is Lotus Twirl, and yes, he's under my care. Why do you ask?"
You tell Lotus Twirl that you are interested in learning more about kobolds, and that you were wondering how ponies like her end up becoming one's shen.
Lotus Twirl: "I see! Well, I can only speak for myself, but I like to believe that Shio and I are closer to friends than pet and master.
As for how we met, it was... has it been four years already? I was returning from shopping in Shandian-Fon when I found him all alone on the road: a small pup with little more than fur on his bones. It was a sad sight.
At the time, I knew that helping a kobold was a bad idea, especially all by myself, but I couldn't just leave the poor creature to starve. So I gave him a little something to eat, and continued on my way, hoping he would make the journey back home on his own.
As you might've guessed, he never went home. Instead, he started following me. Or, well, he tried to. I watched him slowly hobble forward, falling over, then getting back up on shaky legs, only to fall again...
I couldn't keep walking. My heart felt so heavy, it leadened my hooves to the ground. So I stopped, and I waited for him — and ever since that day, he's been by my side. Honestly, I'm very lucky; I couldn't wish for a better companion."
Moonflower: "Awww! That's super cute! But why's helpin' a kobold such a bad idea?"
Lotus Twirl: "If you've never encountered kobolds before, you should know that they can be serious trouble. They will do anything for their master, and in the wrong hooves, that could mean things like stealing or ponynapping.
It's also very rare to find one alone. Kobolds usually travel in large packs, most of them hidden from view, so Shio could've been a scout, or a setup for an ambush. Thankfully, he was just a lost pup."
Honourshine: "You... mentioned you were travelling on your own. Are you a warrior?"
Lotus Twirl: "I am! Is there something about me that suggests otherwise?"
Honourshine: "I... suppose not?"
Lotus Twirl: "... Ah—! Is the name warrior confusing to you, perhaps? Here in the Empire, warriors are not soldiers in the traditional sense. We do learn to fight, yes, but we don't fight flag wars like the dragons do.
To be a warrior simply means that one is educated, able-bodied and able-minded. If you meet someone who grew up here and is in good health, then it's safe to assume that he or she is a warrior."
Moonflower: "Ohhh! I thought bein' a warrior was a super special thing."
Lotus Twirl: "I think for most of us, graduating from the academy is kind of special. It certainly was for me! But I can hear how it sounds to a foreigner."
Speaking of foreigners, you decide to ask Lotus Twirl if she has seen someone matching Dirt Flaxen's description around here.
Lotus Twirl: "Huh? Ah, the stallion of few words? Is he a friend of yours? If I recall correctly, he's helping out in one of the fields further south, across the road. If you're looking for him, you should probably hurry; it looks like it's going to rain soon."
Enter a comment
Then we have to fly after him and try to quickly explain that we just here to make sure he's okay and not dragging him back to Equestria against his will. If that doesn't work we can figure out something else.
I still have the theory that he (unknowingly) ran into something like a music eater who stole his talent. Still wouldn't explain why he left everything behind but maybe this was a very traumatic experience for him.
The rules are one warrior per pony/kirin. So we would need two more. Unless her Kobold also counts, in which case we still would need three warriors even if she accompanies us.
Encountering a music eater could make sense, but only if it was unknowing. If he knew what the problem was, he could call on the resources of his employer to hunt down the music eater. And why wouldn't he consult a (local) doctor? (Also, I vaguely feel like Furia Storm or a siren would have unique dialogue in that situation.)
Also, who was his local guide? Where have they gone?
I think we can pretty truthfully say that he isn't in trouble, we aren't the police (ponice?), and we aren't here to take him back by force, as a way to reassure him. (Although technically his employer sent us, but we don't have to lead with that — the guild has a similar claim to having sent us.) But that won't help if he flees as soon as he sees us before we can say anything. He is a pegasus and can fly. Potentially we could swoop in on him to at least be able to say a few words first.
(Something to put in a pin in: it would be nice to get at least an EVA uniform if not a custom ensemble from Rarity when we can. It would make us look a lot more official.)
Honestly maybe the most likely explanation at this point is that he saw something in the Kirin lifestyle that he was lacking in Equestria. Or some musical inspiration. Or even something soul-related? But it seems rather careless to leave behind everyone he knows (and the contract he signed). And his friends seemed confident in 2024-10-14 that he had a good relationship with his manager.
I feel like there has to be a word for the "warrior" concept Lotus is describing across history and cultures that might serve as a better translation (sorry Tsu-Ko, hehe). Perhaps "yeoman" or "gentleman"? Or even "citizen".
Flag wars? My guess is that she means fighting as regulars in battle lines (with battle standards and all). An alternative guess is that it's a ceremonial form of warfare, like "flower wars" of the Aztecs. And by "dragons" does she means literal dragons, or Kirin (dragon unicorns)?
Technically, now that we know she is a "warrior", we could try to convince Lotus Twirl to escort us outside the trigon, though I feel it would be better to try our luck at the training grounds first.
Also, Lotus Twirl's design is quite cute. The single stripe of color among four possible is rather rare; I wonder what that says about pony genetics.