It had been a few hours since Eric and the ponies had come back to the castle, and at the moment, the hallways were being filled with the delicious aromas of mash potatoes, carrots, hay fries, apple turnovers, pies, and vegetable soup. But unfortunately even with a stomach begging to seek out the source of the smells, Eric was not hungry, and was still outside looking up at the skies counting all the stars wondering if there were as many here as there were back home.
"466... 467... 468..." he was counting when he heard someone come out but continued in his head '469.. 470...'
"Um... Messter Eric?" a small voice said coming closer to the boy.
Giving up because he thought he may of counted one twice, Eric turned to see Amber stopping a bit away from him scuffing at the ground.
"Yes Amber?" he asked holding out an arm inviting her over.
"Um... I... I come to say 'Sorry for how I acted back in the caves and the lie-berry'." Amber said once she was right up next to him rubbing up against him wanting to be warm and to show she was sorry. "It's... It's just Sarah was really nice to me and I was scared... and... and..." she struggled to get the rest out stopping when she felt someone stroking her back looking up to Eric.
"I understand Amber," Eric said trying to control himself so she didn't feel any worse. "I think that's how everyone felt down there, especially as we were leaving." he said quietly shivering a bit, then he remembered what Amber had said to Sarah when she was trying to get her back.
"Hey Amber. What did you mean when you said Sarah told you ' 'Agony' was nothing to worry about, that she was just made up for that song she was singing' ?"
"We only found her because she was singing something and she kept repeating 'Dear Agony'." Amber began explaining "When I asked who 'Agony' was Sarah said she was just made up."
"Huh, I didn't know she knew that song." Eric said more to himself. "Well other than that was there a reason you came out here?" he asked now looking for a star to send a wish to.
"Everyone's asking if you're going to join us for dinner." Amber said now across his lap looking with pleading eyes into his face.
"I'm not really all that hungry Amber," he said but then seeing her disappointed face added "But I suppose I should come back inside shouldn't I?"
With that and a few minutes for Eric to get the feeling back into his legs, they started to head for the door, when the bushes around them started rustling.
"Amber wait a sec, and stay close to me," Eric said slowly and quietly forming a bow and arrow prepping it, eyes looking all over the place Amber zipping her head to every little sound as she stood trying not to show her fears next to him.
Finally, after detecting where the thing was, Eric sent an arrow into the bush where when it landed it shone as bright as the sun forcing the creature out to get it to fight. Knowing the first thing it will do is attack, Eric formed his shield and got in it's way to Amber.
However, what it was only made his heart break and eyes grow wide hoping it wasn't true.
***
Inside everypony was getting ready for dinner checking they had enough plates, bowls, and cutlery so everyone would be able to get something.
Well everypony except the foals and Rainbow Dash who somehow was their favorite story reader.
"'Finally Dareing Do had worked out the puzzle and began hopping from tile to tile getting a bit clumsy at the end and stepping on one that would sent her into the lava river,'" Rainbow said waving her hoof around while using the other to hold the book up to her face, to show how bad the situation was. "After what felt like ages, she was safely across the tiles and continued with her quest to find the rare and valuable Sapphire Stone.'"
Most of the foals were at the edge of their seats eyes wide with wonder, but Ruby, Jade, and Chris were just a bit away from the others having their own conversation on that days happening.
"You think Miss Sarah will be ok?" Ruby said worried playing with one of the dolls she brought with her from the library that was dressed in Sarah's Harmony Outfit.
"I'm wondering more about Eric," Chris said doing a picture puzzle on the floor three quarters of the way done. "I mean he hasn't left the courtyard since we came here. Even though he's calmed down a bit." he said shrugging.
Just as Jade was about to say something her and Ruby's horns started sparking for no reason and they heard Amber's voice calling to them.
'Sisters, quick get Mama. Get Papa. Get anyone and bring them to the courtyard quick!'
Hearing the urgency, Ruby and Jade got up and went looking for their parents since Rainbow was occupied with the others, Chris tailing them asking what was wrong.
But a castle was a big place, and they didn't know where to look first so they just relayed the order to the first person they bumped into.
Discord.
"Whoa girls where the fire?" he asked resisting the urge to zap up a fireman's outfit complete with a hose.
"In the courtyard!" they both said wrapping a hoof each around his wrists and pulling on them to make him follow them. "Amber's in trouble. She needs our help!" they said when he didn't move anywhere.
"Fillies I'm sure whatever it is Eric can handle it." he said kindly still letting them hold him anyway.
At that moment Chris came up panting and asked them what the problem was.
"Amber needs our help in the courtyard," they both answered abandoning Discord and set off for someone else since it seems he wasn't going to believe them.
"How do you know?" Chris said "And what was with the sparking horns and immediate running out of the room?"
"Because we heard her calling for help in our minds," Jade said tapping her horn a nodding Ruby next to her. "And she said get someone and bring them to the courtyard."
"And she sounded scared, she was speaking really fast as if rushing to get the news out!" Ruby added to try and increase the chance that Discord will come looking into his different sized eyes asking to be believed.
"Ok girls lets go to the courtyard," he said as they went down the corridor and down the stairs. "But I'm sure it's nothing Eric can't handle."
Just as he said that the wall right next to him was demolished scaring everypony and amongst the rubble was Eric holding tight to a scared face to his chest Amber, a shield on the floor at his feet groaning in pain as he set her down and slowly got up holding an arm around his waist eyes set on something outside.
"What took so long?" Amber asked her sisters after Eric picked up his shield and ran back outside.
"Meester Discord didn't believe us when we told him you needed help." Jade said strongly eyes on the Draconequus in question trying to see what was wrong.
"What got you so worried you had to call us for anyway?" Ruby said backing up from the bricks sure she just spotted some blood.
"Miss Sarah..." Amber replied.