Of Harmony & Chaos

by BBeee

Confronting Nightmares

“…Green…? Green! Guys, I see green! It’s grass! We made it! We made it!”

Just as the pink earth pony shouted, slivers of green could be seen from where the seven strong party stood on a particularly high dune. The sight had been expected by some of the more observant members of the group, the soil beneath them having gradually shifted from loose sand to slightly firmer loam. Though still far too dry to support anything but the occasional shrub and leafless tree, the ground they stood upon was still a good indicator of their progress. With the short sliver of fertile land that marked the border of pony inhabited lands in sight, they were each able to let out a long sigh of relief.

“It won’t be long now, will it sister?” Luna excitedly asked her older sibling.

“No, not long now. We’ll soon be able to have a nice rest and some juicy grass.” Luna’s expression lit up at the news, and Celestia could not help but reflect her sister’s glee. Much like their companions, the two sister’s coats and manes were drenched in sweat. The trip back through the desert had certainly not been as harsh, or life-threatening, as the initial journey, but the evening sun was no less cruel in its bombardment of the weary group.

“We aren’t there yet. Let’s not stop,” Viator ordered sternly, despite his fatigue.

“He’s right. No reason to celebrate quite yet!” Discord concurred. With slow nods, each accompanied by a heavy-eyed smile, from Dawn and Surprise, the travellers trudged on.

Sand turned to soil, and the soil eventually turned into cool, soft grass. The feeling of dew and vegetation beneath their hooves was intoxicating after hours of labouring through rough, blistering sand and they were all sent into a drunken-like state at the grasses’ touch. They kept on walking, drawing closer to the river that had brought them into the desert n the first place, but with each passing minute their steps grew ever more sluggish and clumsy. Eventually, they all let their aching muscles go limp and fell to the floor, each in a fit of laughter. It had been mere days since their hooves last touched fertile earth, yet it felt like an eternity, a fact that saw the adventurers chortling away under the growing night sky.

“Never again! Right, everypony?” The blond pegasus’ question was met with a cheery round of affirmative hums.

“I cannot imagine how those buffalo live their entire lives out there!”

“I think they’re built for it, Celestia. And they have a lot of experience!” Another round of nods showed Dawn that her friends agreed.

The seven gradually fell into silence. Their most recent adventure had left them all thoroughly exhausted and at that time they all felt like simply gazing up at the sky and watching as the stars slowly faded into view, one by one. The spectacle was one of the many things they had come close to losing in the desert, and even though they had each seen it countless times, the sparkling nether above them seemed far more beautiful than it normally was. To the alicorns and draconequus, it occurred that Aumean was perhaps gifting such a vast and brilliant piece of art to them as a reward for their progress. Or perhaps being balanced on the very brink of life and death had sowed in them all a greater level of appreciation for the world around them. Even the slight chill of a passing breeze brought an absurdly comfortable feeling of warmth and elation. Pony and draconequus alike lay in an understanding silence, there was simply no need to speak; they all understand how, just like they themselves, the others were in a state of simple bliss and quiet contemplation.

As the night grew in majesty and power, so too did its oppression of the group’s will to remain conscious and eventually they all drifted into the most peaceful slumber they each had experienced since perhaps beginning their journeys. For two however, their sleep was not to go without interruption.

…I’ll lend you my wings, I’ll bake you sweet things, all until your laughter stings…

“…Mhmm…wha…?” For the pink earth pony, waking up to see the night sky was a rare occurrence. She was a heavy sleeper by nature and it was often well past sunrise by the time she ever managed to carry herself from wherever she may be sleeping. Odder still, was the sound of singing that accompanied the gentle rustling of grass on the wind.

…Don’t pout, don’t frown, don’t let me catch you down…

“…Surprise?” The voice was certainly akin to the pegasus’, and a quick twist to the left and right confirmed her absence in the sleeping circle they had all formed.

…I’ll lend you my smile…

The sound started to bug Firefly, not because she disliked it, but because it made her wonder where Surprise had gone, and why she was singing. A quick scan of the surrounding area revealed a nearby oak tree, its branches swaying slowly in the breeze. As quietly as her hooves would allow, Firefly trotted away from the calm snoring of her friends in the tree’s direction. Sure enough, the tips of curly, bright blond mane came into view at the base of the tree as Firefly got closer. Closer still and the speedster could fully make out her pegasus friend, a small smile spread across her muzzle as she stared contently at the shining void above

“Hey Surprise!” Apparently in some sort of trance, the pegasus jumped in shock.

“Oh! Fire! You-”

“Surprised you?” Firefly butted in with a grin.

Surprise returned the expression. “You sure did!” The two shared smirks for a moment more, before an air of awkwardness began to grow and Surprise turned back to her star gazing.

“So… watcha’ doing all the way over here? I heard you singing… You’ve got a nice voice!”

The smile on the blond maned pony’s face grew at the compliment. “Thanks! Haven’t you heard me sing before?”

“No! Well, not really. I mean, you’d join in with everypony at parties and stuff, but nothing serious like that!” explained Firefly. It was true, in all their years of friendship, the pink earth pony had never heard Surprise sing quite like she had been.

“You haven’t? Huh… I don’t do it often, but I figured you would have heard me at least once…” the pegasus remarked with a hint of her namesake.

“Guess we’ve discovered a whole bunch of stuff on this journey.” The smile had returned to Firefly’s muzzle and the two ponies had resumed eye contact. “Mind if I join you?”

“Sure! It’s not very comfy, but not that bad either!” Surprise happily told her friend, patting the ground next to her with a hoof to indicate to Firefly to come over, which she promptly did.

“Nice night, huh?” the speedster asked somewhat nonchalantly. It was small talk, but Firefly felt that it had to be said at some point.

“Uh-huh. Makes you feel kind of small though.”

“…It does? What do you mean? Wait, you aren’t doing the same thing that I did back in the Everfree, are you?” inquired Firefly, a stern tone entering her voice.

A shade of red flushed the pegasus cheeks, accompanied by a bashful smile and scratch of the back of the neck. “You got me! I suppose I am a little!”

Though she had been lying against the tree, Firefly took the opportunity to leap back to her hooves and gesture one in a wide arc before finally pointing it high in the air. “Well don’t! You remember what Dissy said! You’ve just got to keep climbing to you’re the highest thing there is!”

“Surprise couldn’t help but giggle softly at the display. “Thanks, Fire. You, Dissy, Luna and all the others are really great ponies, you know? Well, ponies and draconequus,” she quickly corrected herself with.

“And so are you, Surprise!” Firefly replied with resounding vigour.

The pegasus blushed again and waved at hoof at her friend. “Nah, I’m not that super! I mean, you fought off that dragon, Dissy, Tia, Luna and V are always awesome with their magic, and even Dawn pulled us across the desert by herself!”

At this Firefly rolled her eyes and planted her hoof on her forehead. “Aw, you are doing an old me! You’re just as important member of the team as any of us, Surprise! Sure, you might not have had a ‘big moment’ yet, but you will!”

“…You think so?” It was now Firefly gazing up at the stars with Surprise’s eyes fixed on the other pony.

“I know so! I haven’t told any other pony this and it sounds crazy, but when we found the first Element… I dunno, it just felt like I had really achieved something,” Firefly spouted. She didn’t exactly know how to describe what she had felt in that cramped cave, but it was a feeling like no other.

“But you had achieved something, Fire! You climbed all the way up that cliff and saved us from that dragon!” the pegasus cried back.

“No, no! It was… different! I can’t describe it, okay? But it was like I had… done what I was meant to do!” Surprise’s frown was dripping scepticism. “Just trust me, alright? There’s something in store for you, for all of us! I know it!”

Surprise retained her frown for a few moments before slumping back against the tree in a fit of giggles.

“Hey! I’m serious!” the speedster protested, her own eyebrows forming an annoyed scowl.

“Heehee! S-sorry Fire! I know you’re just trying to cheer me up, but you have to admit, it’s kinda of a crazy idea!”

The earth pony brought a hoof to the back of her neck and a small grin forced its way over her lips. “Yeah… I guess it is. I still think it’s true though!” Firefly joined her friend in giggling.

“…We should probably head back now. Need every minute of sleep we can get these days,” remarked Surprise, yawn emphasising her point.

“Yeah, we should. You just remember everything I said, okay?”

“Don’t worry, Fire, I will!” the pegasus confirmed with a nod.

The two exchanged another pair of grins before slowly making their way back to the makeshift camp that they had formed with the others. Firefly fell into slumber almost immediately, though Surprise managed to stay awake for a few minutes more.

‘A Big Moment for everypony, huh…’

______________________________________________________________________________

As the night sky formed over Equestria, so too did it collect far to the south, in the city of Cairib. However, despite the sheer level of logistics needed to keep the bustling port city running smoothly, the vast majority of its residents, simple dock workers and high-up administrative staff alike, liked to relax as hard as they worked. Once the day’s many tasks and jobs were finished, the chaos of the docks migrated to the many taverns, salt dens, cafés and restaurants held in the heart of the city. Barely audible over the friendly chatter and cheer of one such tavern was a voice trying to calmly make its disapproval heard, without much success.

“I simply must say, Sharpsail, I can’t say I think much of this particular establishment. It was my intent for dear Kromi and me to explore the new… finer, catering spots I’ve been hearing all about.”

“Coin Bag, you stiff-lipped jester. This place holds the true spirit of Cairib, something a pretend pony of the sea would know nothing about. You want our striped sweet to experience it? Then you will find no better place,” the pony captain sharply responded, refusing to so much as look at her fellow merchant.

“…She’s right, Coin Bag! This place is… is magical!” the unicorn’s zebra friend yelled with as much enthusiasm as was physically possible for her lungs. The zebra looked as if she was going to cry yet more compliments for the drinking house, but was suddenly lifted off her hooves and gently thrown into the air and caught repeatedly by an incredibly jovial group of ponies and other zebra. She did not know any of them, and any of them her, but none of it mattered to Kromi or the crowd. They were all joined together in laughter and song.

Coin Bag watched from the bar, the only remaining corner of the building that could be described as calm, a happy frown on his face. The tavern and booming cheer weren’t much of a personal favourite of his, but if Kromi was happy, then so was he. The merchant pony watched her for some minutes more as she joined a small band of patrons who had taken to using one of the larger tables as a dancing stage. Then, with a sigh of relief he turned around in his stool to face the bar and browse over what was available.

“…No sense in not joining in, I suppose,” he quietly concluded to himself and fished a few bits from his pocket with which to pay for a large mug of frothy liquid, the same drink Sharpsail was quietly sipping next to him. Though Coin Bag was new to the sailing aspect of being a travelling salespony, he had heard of the great Sharpsail years ago, and their meeting at the docks had not been the first. She was an odd mare, to be sure; normally appearing cold and aloof, yet rumoured to deep down be a highly caring and loyal figure, even if she expressed such features in a particularly fierce way, to those she deemed worthy, most predominantly her crew.

Coin Bag wasn’t much of a pony for rumours, but in the few instances where he had been able to observe Sharpsail in her natural environment, specifically the small number of times she hadn’t been belittling the merchant stallion or trying to convince him to give up any hopes he might have had for making it as a sea-based salespony, he had a feeling that Sharpsail’s intentions were always good, and that her spirit was a noble one. She just had a scary exterior that hid it from most.

“…What?” Sharpsail’s remark made it unnervingly clear to Coin Bag that his eye had been trained on the pony captain for far too long.

“Nothing, Sharpsail. Then again… care to satisfy this old stallion’s curiosity, per chance? Whatever did you mean when you said that those griffon lot were ‘getting desperate?’ Surely they aren’t stepping up their game?”

Sharpsail did not answer immediately, preferring to make Coin Bag wait while she took a long gulp of her drink. When she did turn her head to answer, the look she gave the stallion was one he felt was capable of tunnelling through stone. “Firstly; it is no game. Don’t let me hear you say otherwise. Secondly; the griffons are becoming more desperate for the very same reasons they began raiding merchant ships and coastal villages in the first place.”

Despite the goodwill and merriment saturating the tavern, the air around the two ponies at the bar took a considerable dive in mood. “…The windigoes? By my coffers dear, haven’t they all been rounded up by now? Why, it’s said that Clover the Clever has been travelling Equestria and beyond for years, herding them all down into the dreadful depths of-”

“Tartarus. I know the stories, Coin Bag. But if you had the nerve to sail anywhere near Gryphos, you’d know that the entire island is as much of a frozen wasteland as the far north. It isn’t natural, not with the surrounding climate. The work of windigoes, without doubt,” Sharpsail confidently concluded.

“And the more they put up their talons, the chillier it becomes. Bit of a downward spiral they’ve gotten themselves in, eh Sharpsail?”

“Precisely. The more they fight, the more powerful the windigoes become, and thus the more they need to rob and steal in order to survive,” she confirmed.

It was a downward spiral indeed. Among all the sentient species known to ponykind, gryphons were amongst those more inclined to violence and were a race of natural warriors. Much like it had once been with the pegasi, conflict was something firmly entrenched in gryphon culture. And something windigoes had begun to slowly feed off and use to cover the gryphon’s homeland in frost and make food of any sort incredibly scarce.

“Be very wary, Coin Bag. If things on Gryphos continue as they have been, then they will even begin to target the likes of you,” Sharpsail warned. Another glare was aimed the stallion’s way. “I’ve already tried to warn you of this. Clearly you’re too stubborn, however.”

“Don’t you get your sails in a twist! This pony knows tricks even the craftiest of unicorns hadn’t the idea to use!” Coin Bag proudly proclaimed.

“I should hope so. For both your sake, and the flower which now follows you.” Point made, Sharpsail went back to slowly emptying her mug in silence.

‘If I’m not mistaken, then there it is again!’ Coin Bag mentally noted, a curious eyebrow rising above the other. “I must say, Sharpsail dear, but it seems to me that you’re a tad taken with little Kromi?”

For the first time since he could remember, Coin Bag witnessed the fierce captain’s demeanour trip as she choked on a sip of her drink. After a bout of spluttering and coughing, Sharpsail managed to recover enough to face Coin Bag with an enraged glare. It was a look that would normally send even the most powerfully-built of ponies cowering to a friend’s embrace. The unicorn however, not only knew that whatever terrifying fate Sharpsail’s glare implied would never be truly be made a reality, but also that the area he had cast his net into had resulted in quite the catch.

“…What are you implying, Coin Bag?” By this point, the captain’s eyes had been reduced to slits.

“Oh, dear, dear. You don’t hide it quite as much as you may think, I’m afraid! I’ve seen a great many lovebirds in my time, and you’re singing all the songs!”

Sharpsail turned to gaze at the zebra laughing and singing with her crew and the other patrons. Moments passed as the captain watched in silence, debating whether to continue the subject. “She is indeed… beautiful. With a personality to match. But it is more than that… There is something about her, something difficult to describe. When I first looked into her eyes, I saw a fear, not just of me, but a pain. As if she had seen the worst that this world has to offer. Yet still, she manages to cheer and laugh. She has not been to Cairib before, correct? It is as if she finds something new, and embraces it to its fullest. Appreciates everything there is to appreciate, no matter the pain she may be feeling.”

Coin Bag joined his rival in watching Kromi having the time of her life. “You’ve no idea just how hard you hit the mark, dear.”

______________________________________________________________________________

CRASH!

“Oh my… ‘some pre-cooked meals’ was a slight understatement, wouldn’t you say, Redstone?”

“Y-Yes, the folks are a bit enthusiastic when it comes to this sort of thing…”

Aumean and Penwell stood staring as the other wheel of Redtsone’s wagon was also crushed under the weight of the boxes of food, medicine and other camping supplies. Granted, the wagon was old; the wood it was made from was showing signs of rot and the iron rivets were rusted, yet the tower of provisions stacked precariously in the cart was of comical proportions, and weight.

The three had made their way out of the Everfree, through the fields surrounding Ponyville and the town itself and at last reached Redstone’s abode, a large single-floored cottage, located several minutes southeast of the small village. The house lay next to a wide, rocky plain which, while devoid of plant life, was for any keen geologist a literal mine of precious gems and metals. Tucked beneath the unassuming surface was what could have been miles of natural caverns and tunnels, all filled to the brim with treasures of the earth.

“Well of course we’re enthusiastic! You try finding something different to do when you’re cooped up in the house with arthritis in each leg and a back to match! We’re old and don’t have anything better to do!” a coarse voice bellowed heartily. Popping out of a window of Redstone’s house was the wrinkly head of an old stallion. “Didn’t think it would hold, to be honest. Here, son, just take these.” The head withdrew from the window and emerged a moment later with a pair of saddlebags held by the strap with a set of suspiciously white teeth. Teeth that proceeded to slip from the old pony’s mouth from the weight of the bags and reveal themselves as dentures.

“Dad…”

“Flint, are you alright?”

The old earth pony looked down at the bags with his teeth still clamped on the strap, then burst into a wheezing laugh. “…Hope you never get old, son! Hope you never get old!”

Redstone sighed, unhitched himself from the broken wagon and went to pick up the saddlebags his father had presented him with, being sure to place the saliva-covered dentures on the windowsill before strapping the packs on.

Penwell, finally moving from his position, suddenly began pulling strands of hair in front of his eyes, examining them for any grey or white. “Aumean, please, if I ever become like that… I don’t even know. Just don’t let me.” Aumean could not tell if her friend was being serious or not, but giggled regardless. Penwell did not join in.

“I should get going, Dad,” Redstone told his father with a hint of impatience.

“‘course, ‘course. Be safe son, love you.” The two stallions exchanged a warm smile before Flint abruptly yelled back into the house with incredible volume for a pony his age. “SAPPHIRE! RED’S HEADING OFF NOW!”

A shuffling sound began emanating from another room and was soon followed by a mare, equally elderly as Flint, slowly poking her head out of the window as well. “Have fun, Red! See you in a few days, alright?”

The three shared a group hug and a kiss on the forehead for her son from Sapphire. “Will do. Bye Dad, bye Mom.” With a final nod, Redstone turned his back on the two, sighed once more at the pile of supplies and splintering wagon, then focused his attention on the two ponies who had walked him to his house from the Everfree. “Goodbye Ms. Aumean, Mr. Penwell.”

It took all of Aumean’s willpower to keep the cheerful smile on her muzzle as just that, and not let it turn into an evil grin. “Goodbye, Redstone. I hope you have a… good trip.”

Much like Aumean, Penwell was also struggling to resist a temptation, specifically one to kick the alicorn beside him in the legs. “Yes… Until some other time, Redstone.” Without making it obvious, Penwell tried to analyse the geologist pony’s for any sort of hint that he was aware of Aumean’s plotting. He found it hard to believe Redstone didn’t suspect anything; to the bookkeeper, the mare had made it painfully obvious that she was planning something.

The auburn earth pony gave one final wave before finally setting out on his way to Ploughmouth. His parents, Flint and Sapphire, smiled and watched him for a few moments before shouting over the yard to Penwell and Aumean. “Feel free to come over, you two! We’ve got some tea on the stove and the back door is unlocked, so just make yourselves at home if you want!”

Aumean looked at her friend. “Well, Penwell? Shall we?”

The ageing bookkeeper waved a hoof in front of his face. “Not for me, thank you. I’ve got an interesting commentary on ‘bird hostility’ to get through, if you can imagine it. If you’re staying, I’ll see you soon no doubt,” Penwell remarked as he turned to leave.

Aumean rolled her eyes and grinned to herself. Penwell truly did need to get out more and be a little bit sociable. As it was however, he never did get to finish his commentary that day, as his journey back to Ponyville was quickly interrupted by a flash of magical light appearing in front of him. The shock of it threw the stallion to the ground, though the sight of what had appeared with the light was even more surprising.

“…Star Swirl!?” Aumean’s words were accurate. Standing in the road before them both was none other than Star Swirl the Bearded, outfitted in his hat and cape, who was casually dusting himself down.

“Aumean, you old devil! You’ve got a bit of explaining to do! That, and I happen to need a look through some of your books for my next project,” the sorcerer informed the gawping alicorn.

“Star Swirl… it’s wonderful to see you again, but… how did you know I was out here? I didn’t leave a note or anything at the library…” Aumean frowned and put a hoof to her chin, trying to remember. “…did I…?”

Star Swirl rolled his eyes and marched up to the alicorn, completely ignoring the baffled stallion still lying on the ground. “Note!? Pah! Aumean, you alicorns, and you in particular are like springs! Bursting with magical potential from every seam! I can sense you from more than a mile away, quite literally I might add, with only the tiniest effort on my part. I’m quite certain I’ve told you this before…”

Both Aumean and Star Swirl lapsed into temporary thought, trying to recall whether the two had indeed had the conversation. Penwell took the chance to get back to his feet and clear his throat, clearly expecting an apology from the ancient unicorn. The noise brought the two from their memory dives and Star Swirl simply frowned at Penwell before shaking his head and approaching his friend.

“No matter! Like I say, I happen to have need of one of your older collection pieces. That, and I want to hear what you have to say concerning your offspring suddenly showing up on my door, late at night!” listed the old unicorn while eyeing Aumean accusingly.

The alicorn’s first response was to grin sheepishly. “Oh, that. Don’t worry, I’m sure we can clear everything up over a nice cup of tea, say… back at the library?” she suggested.

Star Swirl nodded, satisfied. “Good. If we teleport, it shouldn’t take long. Penwell… was it? Are you coming?” he asked the other stallion abruptly.

The sorcerer was met with a scowl. “No, thank you. Being dragged through a hole in space doesn’t quite appeal to me. I’ll just go back to the shop.”

A snort rumbled from Star Swirl’s throat. “It’s a good experience! But, your loss,” the magician quickly dismissed the bookkeeper and turned his attention back to Aumean. “I’ll see you there,” he informed her before disappearing in yet another flash of light.

Once the magical sparks had faded, the alicorn smiled weakly at her friend. “Sorry, Penwell. I’ll come see you again soon, but I probably should go and talk things over with Star Swirl before he gets even crankier.”

The stallion rolled his eyes, but reciprocated the expression. “I’ll be fine, I’m sure. Just go, I’ll tell Flint and Sapphire we won’t be joining them today,” he assured her.

Aumean nodded in response, gave her friend another bashful smile before vanishing herself in a flash of light. The sight of her cosy library suddenly greeted the alicorn, as well as that of a book flying towards her. She gasped in shock before just managing to catch the rogue book in the air with her magic. “…Star Swirl… could you please be more careful? Some of these are fragile and took a very long time to sort…”

A chuckle echoed from a nearby bookshelf where a heartbreaking pile of books had already been haphazardly thrown to the floor. “Look closer, dear.”

Aumean managed to tear her look of sorrow away from the chaotic mess long enough to take the book she held in her magic into her hooves and peer at it closer. Sure enough, a very dim aura of magic surrounded the book.

“Do you really think I would treat such rare works of academia so badly? There is a protective spell on each and one that will help us re-sort them,” he informed her with a smug grin.

The alicorn breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled a little nervously in response. “Thank the skies… I thought you had went a little crazy since we last met…” she trailed off while stroking the book in her hooves protectively. After a brief period of silence, Aumean snapped back to reality. “Oh! Yes, what was it you’re looking for? I might know it…”

“I’m not actually sure of any exact title, but I just happen to know you have a few works even older than me,” Star Swirl explained while continuing his rampart book search.

The frown that had been slowly blossoming on Aumean’s face deepened. “Why ever would you need something that old? I do have some pre-Equestrian unicorn works, but… other than your own studies…”

“The period wasn’t famed for its magical advances, I know. But there might be something, and if not, then I’ll quite simply have to look through your alicorn section.”

What was a frown turned into a look of concern. “Star Swirl, that’s all very ancient magic. Celestial regulation, that sort of thing. I thought you didn’t like such old research?”

“I don’t, hate it in fact. But I’ve scoured every last book in Manehatten’s library and my own collection, and I can’t find references anywhere!” he grumbled with a growing sense of frustration.

“References for what, old friend?”

The sound of books being tossed aside onto the hard floor suddenly ceased and the sorcerer poked his head around the bookshelf to grin slyly at the alicorn. “Aumean, dear. You know this old conjurer, I won’t stop poking at boundaries until the day I drop down dead.”

Seeing Star Swirl’s grin forced Aumean to share with him her own. “…Star Swirl, what are you planning?” she asked with growing suspicion.

The old stallion chuckled smugly. “As you well know, Aumean, I recently developed a spell that would allow a unicorn to move themselves, and others, through space instantaneously! And now, I have decided to take it a step further and tackle the other half of the spectrum…”

“…You don’t mean?”

Star Swirl’s grin grew to a size Aumean had not seen in years. “Yes, dear, I do. I’ve mastered space, and now I intend to master time!”

______________________________________________________________________________

A fog horn boomed over the waters, causing several travelling ponies and a draconequus to jump in fright. They had all awoken well-rested, something they had not expected given that they had been sleeping in a field. Rather than waking to a shining sun and perfect skies, a thick fog had greeted them instead. They were no less deterred however, and after a quick breakfast of dew-covered grass, they once again set out, albeit somewhat blindly.

“Hey, Tia, you got any idea when we’ll hit the river again? I can’t see a thing in all this mist.” To emphasise her point, Firefly brought a hoof to her forehead and squinted into the shrouded distance.

“Not entirely… we must have come out the desert further south than we went in, otherwise we would have passed Last Meadow again. I think the river curves gradually east as well, so it might be a bit longer before we reach it,” Celestia explained while frowning at the map she held in front of her face telekinetically.

“Oh… okay. I just don’t want to suddenly fall in. Surprise baths aren’t cool.”

“Rivers don’t just suddenly dip, Fire! More like a gradual slope… right?” Surprise exclaimed confidently, before turning to the group’s smarter individuals for confirmation.

“That’s right, Surprise. You don’t have anything to worry about Firefly, most rivers aren’t that deep at their edges,” Dawn assured the two ponies with a smile.

“The bigger problem is how to cross it once we do get there. I somehow doubt there will be a boat,” Viator dryly commented. “Most of us could fly or teleport over. But that would leave Dawn and Firefly, and unless you’re both willing to swim…”

“Hardly. We have hooves, don’t we? It wouldn’t be hard to carry them, surely,” Discord countered while waving his own appendages in front of Viator’s face, much to his annoyance.

“Maybe there will be a ferry like last time? We should just wait and see!” Despite her younger sister’s sound advice and enthusiasm, Celestia instinctively stretched her wings.

Contrary to what she had originally thought, there had been precious little flying over the course of their quest, and the elder alicorn began to realise that she was developing an itch to soar about once more. ‘Maybe when we next stop I could take a little flight…? Though Firefly…’ As soon as the thought struck, the white mare glanced over to the pink pony hiking ahead of her. Celestia still thoroughly remembered Firefly’s sudden outburst, and while she seemed to have been able to conquer her envy, the idea of taking a casual stroll in the sky while the speedster sat there and watched made the alicorn very uncomfortable with herself, and she decided to simply dismiss it until later.

The sudden sensation of water on her hooves, as well the sound of muffled giggling brought Celestia to a sudden stop. Blinking, she realised that she had been so deep in thought that she had managed to tread into the very same river they had just been discussing. The giggling then burst into childish groans of disappointment. Noticing her trance, her friends had decided to allow her to continue on walking, seemingly to see how far into the waters she would go before realising what she was doing. Discord in particular, seemed the most vocal in his dissatisfaction at the end result.

The alicorn didn’t even bother scold her companions, choosing instead to just roll her eyes and turn her attention back to the river and how they would get across it.

“Aww, c’mon sis! It would have been funny! And we wouldn’t have let you go too far!” Luna happily called while running to her sister to give her an affectionate muzzle.

Celestia returned it with a frown. “It’s fine, Luna. I know you wouldn’t at least,” she coldly remarked before shooting Discord an accusing glare. The draconequus merely pointed to himself innocently in response. “…Anyway, we need to decide how we are going to cross. I don’t think there are any ferry crossings here, and with this mist it is difficult to tell which direction Neighly is in, or how far.”

“Celestia, I’m hurt! Don’t you ever listen to your dear brother…? I said we could carry the non-fliers!”

The white mare pointed a hoof in the rivers direction. “It’s a wide river, Discord, and with all this fog we can’t tell just how wide it is at this point. That, and none of us here are as light as fillies. We could try, but… “

“Oh, come on Tia! What’s the worst that could happen!? You drop us and we get a little wet?”

“Firefly is right, Celestia. The current isn’t that strong and the sun will probably be coming out soon, so it won’t take that long to dry,” Dawn explained in agreement. The speedster and scientist exchanged grins.

“Yeah, Tia! And If V can teleport-”

“Which of course I can.”

“Right, so if V can teleport, then that just leaves Dawn and Fire! And since there’s four fliers, we can have two ponies to helping them each!”

Surprise’s logic was solid, and Celestia couldn’t find fault with it, even if deep down she hoped to find some flaw, a desire she herself did not quite understand. Perhaps all their recent experiences had led the alicorn’s inherent concern for her friends to grow to overprotective levels, or perhaps it was because she was loathe to admit that Discord had thought up a perfectly suitable solution to their problem before she had? Regardless, Celestia had no choice but to nod along slowly, and with a subtle hint of reluctance.

And so it was that Dawn and Firefly were carefully airlifted from one bank of the river, to the other. True, the gentle giant of a waterway was vast in width, but with the support of two ponies per earth-bound traveller, they all made it across and were greeted by their resident showstallion trotting back to the river bank, having intentionally overshot his teleportation spell so as to not accidentally underestimate the river and end up soaked.

“…So all the ponies made it safely across the river, and quested on happily ever after!” a suitably-smug Discord sang as he, Luna and Firefly touched down on the damp grass by Celestia, Surprise and Dawn.

“…Let’s just move on. Hopefully we can get to the Western Range by nightfall. Then it’s a simple matter of cutting through them, and we should be able to get to Ploughmouth by tomorrow.”

An annoyed sigh emanated from Firefly. “We have to go through them again!? You know we got attacked by a dragon the last time we went near them!?”

“A ‘simple’ matter, Celestia? The last time I ventured through those mountains, I was attacked by manticores, had the cart carrying all of my belongings destroyed, and hounded by…” a worrying grimace emerged across Viator’s face “…him.”

Sympathetic and sheepish smiles became the norm. Every member of the group, baring Dawn, had met the object of the stallion’s grievances. Dawn’s exclusion from such an experience raised many questions in her mind, though the grim memories clearly circling through the unicorn’s face did not encourage her to ask them, and she eventually decided on remaining silent regarding them.

Viator’s mood shifted and spread and the party lapsed into silence as a whole, focusing instead on closing the distance between them and the stoic, mist-covered peaks ahead.

______________________________________________________________________________

The ringing of a bell, the creaking of rope, and hooves on wooden planks. All sounds that were familiar, but didn’t seem quite right.

Kromi slowly opened her eyes and looked around, her vision still blurry with sleep. She was curled up under a pile of blankets on a simple bed in a cramped wooden room. A room that appeared to be gently swaying. Picking herself, Kromi looked around some more, but upon moving her head winced in pain. A dull throb boomed in her skull and she groaned in pain, deciding instead to simply stay in the bed and try to remain as still as possible.

Without warning, the room’s door popped ajar, and a unicorn’s head squeezed through the gap. “Now, I bet a good five bits that was somepony lamenting too much drink that I just heard! Need I ask how the old noggin is?”

“…It hurts…”

A grin spread over Coin Bag’s muzzle. He knew he should have been more sympathetic, but seeing somepony’s first ever hangover was always a sight to see. “Let it not be said that this pony didn’t try to warn you, lass. Stay strong for just a moment though, and I’ll get something to help.” The head disappeared, and returned a few minutes later with the rest of Coin Bag’s body and a mug of water, tinted green with some sort of herb. “Drink this, and you’ll be back on your hooves lickety split!”

The young zebra took the mug into her hooves and peered at its contents before taking a small, experimental sip. The brew was bitter, but not terribly so, and if it helped with the pounding pain in her head, she was more than happy to drink it.

“Now, I grabbed the initiative and went and got all that buying and selling business out of the way while you were still asleep, so we’ll be able to devote all the time we have left to the good stuff; exploring Cairib some more, eh?”

Kromi nodded enthusiastically, though quickly regretted it as a sharp pain shot through her brain. Coin Bag chuckled, and both managed to exchange smiles. The moment was interrupted however, by a loud thumping sound from above them, on the boat’s deck. “…Whoever could that be? I say, if it’s that darn peddler trying to cheat me out of my wallet again, I have a good mind to tell the-”

“Coin Bag you sorry excuse for a sailor! Where are you!?”

“Ah. Perhaps not the peddler then. Wait here lass, I’ll go see what our good chum Sharpsail wants at this ridiculous hour,” he gently informed the zebra, clearly straining to keep the annoyance from his voice, before disappearing once more.

Despite her friend’s words, and the aching pain in her skull, Kromi could not stop herself from cautiously slipping from her bed and padding carefully through the ship in pursuit of her friend. Gently climbing the steps, Kromi was able to poke her head upwards and see past the open door just in time to see Coin Bag hit in the face with a sheet of paper. Before he had time to respond, Sharpsail came into view, idly examining the boat’s deck with a clear sense of distaste.

“…And what, per chance, is this, Sharpsail?” Coin Bag intoned after successfully pulling the sheet from his face with a touch of magic.

“It’s a weather report. In short, several tornadoes are due on and around the Ploughmouth-Cairib route over the next few days. Something about collecting emergency water supplies in case of drought. Anyway, the point is that if you want to get to Ploughmouth anytime soon without putting you and, more importantly, Kromi here in even more danger, then you’ll have to set sail soon. As in, today.” The pony captain dryly explained while avoiding eye contact.

Coin Bag’s jaw had become increasingly slack as Sharpsail described the situation. “N-now hold on just one minute! Surely they have to give us folk greater notice than a single day! And I for one am all for getting extra water, but that’s sea water they’ll be sucking up! It’s packed full of salt! Surely they can’t use it!?”

Sharpsail shrugged casually. “I don’t need to understand how the weather is created, only how it works once it has been created. I’ve no doubt they have some way of filtering out the salt content, if it isn’t already removed when they move it up to the factories.”

“But… but a single day’s notice!? However is that-”

The merchant was interrupted by Sharpsail’s face suddenly being uncomfortably close to his own, an annoyed scowl on her face. “If you had any idea what you were doing, Coin Bag, then you would also know that this report was released well over a week ago. For sailors like us, painful as it is to include you amongst such ponies, who spend most of our time on the waves without any means of direct contact with the cities, it is important to check any and all weather reports as soon as we make port so we can prepare and plan accordingly,” she almost roared.

“Whatever shall I do about Kromi…? I promised the girl another day of Cairib… but if I don’t keep up the pace with the other merchants out there…”

“Prices will fall and you’ll likely start having to incur debt. That’s why I’m here telling you to set sail quickly. The route may be blocked for a few days, but you and I both know how much difference that can make if all the competition got through before you had the chance,” she finished for him.

What was a look of deep concern turned into a frown. “Then why are you helping this old stallion out by passing the message?”

A quiet chuckle escaped Sharpsail’s throat, the first Kromi had heard. “Please, as if you and this dinghy could pose any serious threat to my profits. I’m telling you more out of concern for her,” she exclaimed, her hoof pointing directly to the striped head hiding in the shadows of the stairway, a head that blinked in surprise at being found out and then quickly retreated further below deck in a vain attempt to hide. Sharpsail smiled. “…How very endearing.”

“…Kromi?” the merchant stallion called out, despair creeping into his voice.

The zebra did not respond immediately, instead thinking that if she stayed quiet, she would not be properly discovered, just as she had done when the Taloned had attacked Oromo. Hiding there, on the boat’s stairwell, the memories which until then had felt strangely far off and in the distant past suddenly resurfaced like a slideshow of ugly and gruesome images. Kromi was afraid, but could not for the life of her work out why. There was no reason why she should be; she was among friends, she had been taken away from all the horror of Oromo, even the things Coin Bag and Sharpsail had been discussing didn’t upset her too much. She would have liked to see more of Cairib, but even if they did leave it was in the direction of yet more adventure, yet more new things for her to see, hear, smell, taste and feel. Was she afraid of upsetting Coin Bag? He had vowed to show her as much of Cairib as physically possible in the two days he thought they would have, but it was a vow he wouldn’t be able to keep without seriously risking his future prospects. That didn’t seem right though, she would have found out regardless of whether she had been eavesdropping or not, and she was sure she would have been able to convince him that she didn’t mind their exploration of the port city being cut short if it meant she would have the chance to explore something else.

‘So why? Why does-’

Kromi’s confused thoughts were interrupted by a looming figure standing over her, its face obscured by shadow. Initially, she tried to cower even further away, but the figure slowly leant down to reveal itself as Sharpsail, a kind and comforting smile on her lips. “A fear. As I thought. Do not worry, Kromi. I don’t know what has hurt you, but all wounds take time to heal. Continue as you have been though, and I think there will soon be nought but a faint scar.”

The stripped equine merely stared at the captain, unsure how to respond.

“You are a remarkable individual, Kromi. And… it pains me to know that our paths will not become any more intertwined than they are. Please, for my sake as well as your own, do not slip back down the road you have walked. Keep climbing.” What that, Sharpsail planted a quick kiss on Kromi’s forehead, turned and made her way to the boat’s railing; leaving the young zebra in as much shock and confusion as she had the first time the two had met. “Me and my crew will be leaving in two hours sharp. If you want to guarantee your safety, then I suggest you follow in our wake, or better yet, join us aboard my ship.”

Coin Bag’s eyes narrowed and tried find some hint of suspicious intent upon Sharpsail’s departing form, to no avail. “I’m afraid to say Sharpsail dear, but that sounds like something you wouldn’t offer to anypony… ever, if I may add.”

The sound of the mare’s hooves on the yacht’s deck stopped, and she turned to face the merchant’s claim with a rare smirk. “Normally I wouldn’t. Fortunately for you, there’s somepony you’re taking care of who I happen to… admire.” Sharpsail said no more, and promptly continued on her way, her form soon becoming lost amongst the crowd of dock workers and sailors.

“…By golly, she is an odd one. I don’t rightly think I’ll ever quite work out that mare’s way of thinking,” the stallion mused. “Now, what ever do we do about her offer? Kromi?”

Slowly, the zebra made her way out on to the deck from her hiding place on the stairway. “I… I think…”

“Hmm?”

“…Can we go with her? On her boat?”

Coin Bag had expected the response, and while he and Sharpsail’s relationship was not conventional, he still felt the need to make up for leaving Cairib early, and her warning about the gryphons was playing on his mind. Of course, they would surely try and raid a ship as large as Sharpsail’s, but if the possibility existed that they would raid his small boat as well anyway, then he couldn’t think of any better crew he’d like to be by his side. The captain owned a large and well-equipped ship and commanded many hardened ponies and zebra that had proven time and time again that they were more than capable of fending off a gryphon raiding party with as little danger to themselves as possible.

“Can we?”

The zebra’s voice snapped Coin Bag from his mental retreat, and he looked to her for a moment before smiling. “Yes, lass, yes we can. If you think you’re up to it…”

“…What do you mean?” she asked, expression turning to one of concern at Coin Bag’s tone. She was met with a sigh, and the stallion quickly went about explaining how she should way up the odds, how there was far less chance that the two would be attacked if they went by themselves in the merchant’s yacht. At the same time however, if they were attacked, they were in far greater danger than they would be with Sharpsail and her crew, but if they did accompany them, then there was a far higher chance of them being attacked in the first place. All the while, Kromi listened and occasionally nodded, contemplating the possible event of being thrown into the middle of yet another attack.

“So you see, lass, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword if ever there was one. I’m quite happy to go with whatever you feel more comfortable with, I just want you to be jolly well certain you’re prepared for the consequences,” he cautiously explained.

Naturally, the zebra’s decision was not immediate, and she looked to the waves as she thought in silence. “…I still want to go with her,” she eventually replied, looking back to Coin Bag with eyes of steel determination.

“You positive now, lass?”

She nodded firmly. “I know that the Taloned might come again, but… this time I’ll have friends to protect me! To protect each other! It still hurts… the memories. But Sharpsail is right, I have to keep pushing on! F-face them again, show them I’m not going to let them pull me down again!”

A sympathetic smile looked towards her. “It’s quite alright to feel what you’re feeling, Kromi. You’ve been through a dreadful ordeal, simply dreadful. Don’t feel you need to go and rush on ahead for my sake, or anypony’s sake. I implore you lass, under no circumstance should you force yourself to relive what you’re already went through, there’s simply no need for it.”

Another moment of silence. “…But I want to go with Sharpsail. I want to see her boat, meet her friends, learn what it’s like to travel with them! And I don’t want my fear of them to take that away from me!” she cried, emotion rising in her voice and moisture forming around her eyes.

Kromi’s tears however, were never to fall, as a hoof was suddenly slung around her shoulder. “That’s what I like to hear! Come along dear Kromi, we’ll be riding with Sharpsail today!”

With an affirmative nod and hum, the two leapt off the yacht and trotted off to find Sharpsail and the next segment of their adventure.

______________________________________________________________________________

“Eep! Help!”

For the fourth time in an hour, five ponies and a draconequus rushed to the aid of the dark blue alicorn.

Grunts and groans followed by sighs of relief echoed around the marshland as Luna was once more pulled free from a pool of sticky ooze. “…There we go! Quite the fun place, hmm?” a draconequus chimed.

The elder of the three siblings rolled her eyes. “Hardly, Discord, that’s the ninth time we’ve had to pull one of us free. This swamp is treacherous!”

As Discord sniggered to himself and shook his head in amusement, Luna looked down at her hooves and tail, all caked in a fresh layer of mud, and tried to shake the slime off to little avail. “Maybe we should just fly over?” she proposed with an accompanying sigh.

As had become custom, Celestia pulled forth her map and examined it thoroughly again. “I would love it if we could all just fly there, but we still have a way to go, and if we were to try carrying the three who can’t fly then we’d no doubt exhaust ourselves before we got there…”

Another groan sounded from most of the group. What had been gentle fields and plains had gradually devolved into a putrid bog, where the land dipped slightly and excess water from the hills and river collected and stagnated. Celestia was not alone in regretting taking the route they had; rather than cross the Manehatten river where they had originally and then follow the same road they had travelled on to Neighly, they had instead returned to the eastern banks far further south in an attempt to cut a shorter path to Ploughmouth. They had not anticipated running headfirst into the expansive swamp they now found themselves in.

“…C’mon, let’s just go, get it out of the way,” Firefly moaned before setting off once again, closely followed by her friends.

“We’ll get there eventually everypony!” Although they all appreciated her efforts, Surprise’s attempts to lighten the group’s spirits were not very effective.

“In some ways, I’m glad that stupid old cart got destroyed. It’s annoying enough just to get a pony through this place,” the team’s showstallion muttered to himself.

“It might not be as hot, but all this mud makes trekking even more difficult than the desert sand had been,” Dawn noted with no small amount of frustration, prompting a round of agreement from her comrades.

Everypony fell into a moody silence, it wasn’t long before even Discord was in no frame of mind for talking, and he had the advantage of being in the air above the streams of sludge most of them were forced to pull through. By that point, they had all been through a variety of environments that would fit the definition of bleak, yet to Luna, there was something even worse about the marsh she found herself in, something over than the infuriatingly awkward task of trudging through paths sometimes knee deep in mud. The mountains had been rough and harsh, the desert had been downright devoid of life, so what was it about the marsh that threatened to drive a pony to fume in annoyance? The younger alicorn worked out what it was that made the swamp tedious to travel only after taking a larger sniff of the stench that was constantly lurking in the background: the stench of death. It wasn’t like the desert, which lacked life, things actively died and rotted amongst the shallow, fetid pools. It was a horrible thing to have to always smell, a fragrance one simply couldn’t get used to and ignore, a fragrance that could bother even one as laid back as Discord.

Luna took to the air along with Surprise and her brother, feeling her hooves deserved a rest. Her sister would no doubt join them soon enough, assuming her wings did not tire before Celestia’s own hooves did. Despite not wanting to, Luna could not but look down in pity at the three sour faces who had no wings and thus no choice but to rely solely on their legs to carry them. The swamp truly was a place for no pony to stay. ‘I remember when I was a filly! Surprise and I would play all day in the mud… but this mud looks horrible…’ the young sister thought sadly. She still did enjoy the occasional mud fight with her brother, or whoever was happy to play, but the idea of rolling in the slime around them was simply revolting to the dark blue pony.

“This is ridiculous! I can barely trot through all this gloop! Can I please use the old pony’s necklace thing?” the speedster whined, looking hungrily back to Dawn’s saddlebags where the enchanted, strength-giving pendant was kept.

“No, Firefly. Star Swirl told us it only has a limited number of charges, so we should save it for an emergency,” the white alicorn sternly replied without looking at the complainer.

“But this is an emergency! We’ll never get through this stupid swamp at this rate!”

“Firefly, just focus on walking. We’ll get through eventually,” Celestia answered calmly once again.

“…Easy for you to say, you can just fly whenever you want to, not like us Earth ponies,” the pink mare mumbled bitterly.

It was at this comment that Celestia lost her cool, spinning around in the mud to face Firefly angrily. “Don’t start this again, Firefly. We all feel guilty enough as it is, but I hoped you had come to terms with it!”

“Well now I’m not on terms with it, okay!?”

“Oh, come on Fire! Stop being such a baby! Crying about how you can’t fly all the time!” Surprise threw in to the heating row.

“Sorry everypony, but I think we ought to cut Firefly some slack, hmm?”

“Don’t you get involved, Discord! We don’t need the thoughts of some chimera thrown in as well!”

“Wha… What did you just call me Celestia!?” the draconequus blurted back, a look of rage suddenly forming on his face.

“We should stop this. Firefly, I’m sorry to say but you’re a little wild and… unintelligent at times. We should only let those who know how to use the pendant actually use it. Smart ponies, like me.” Dawn interrupted with as much elegance as she could muster.

“Riiight, cause we all know how reliable Dawn is! She collapsed as soon as we got in the desert! She only got so far afterwards ‘cause of that little trinket!” Surprise sneered in response.

“Surprise, you… you… featherbrain! How dare you! I ought to take that attitude of yours and… and…”

“And what? Explain it?” Firefly remarked with a cruel snigger.

“She probably couldn’t do that well, either. Really, an Earth pony studying magic…” Celestia dryly remarked.

“Ohhhh, but of course, the big powerful alicorn could! She thinks she’s better than everyone! Look at me, I can move the sun, everypony give me attention!” Discord snapped back.

Then it was Surprise’s turn once more. “Cram it, freak! Goody-gold-horn over there already said we don’t need anything from a lame jokester!”

“STOP IT!!”

The group stopped, caught paralysed in the motion of going for each other’s throats, and blinked, struggling to comprehend what they were doing and what had stopped them: Luna. The alicorn hovered above them, panting for breath after screaming the entire air content of her lungs.

“…W-What’s wrong with you all…? These… these aren’t my friends!”

Each combatant slowly backed down and looked to the ground awkwardly.

Luna gestured to the fetid landscape surrounding them with a wide arc of her hooves. “It’s this place! There’s something… something evil about it! It makes you mad, like you want to fight your own friends! We should hurry up, or else-” Luna suddenly stopped and looked to the five individuals before her with a frown.

“…Or else what? Please, tell us Luna,” Celestia asked with sincerity.

Luna only continued to frown more. “…Has anypony seen Viator…?”

The party all simultaneously blinked once more and looked around to count themselves, though each came to the same conclusion: the showstallion wasn’t among them.

“…Oh, oh, there he is! Over there!” the snowy coated pegasus cried, pointing her hoof back along the route they had taken. Surely enough, the azure stallion was there, standing still and gazing off into the distance with a small telescope.

“…I wonder what’s wrong? What is he looking at?” Dawn inquired and tried looking off in the same direction to see if she could spot anything that would grab the unicorn’s attention so thoroughly. “Hmm… there’s certainly something… I wonder what it could be? Local fauna perhaps? It’s definitely moving…”

“Dawn, Firefly, stay here. We’ll go and see what’s wrong,” Celestia ordered and pulled herself into the air, flapping her way towards Viator, closely followed by Luna, Discord and Surprise.

“Hey V! What’s up? You watching something cool?” the pegasus called as they approached.

The stallion did not respond immediately, instead he lowered the magically-held telescope from his eye, looked to the ground, and then to his travelling companions with an intense expression of fear and horror. “…He’s…He’s found me… But… he’s in trouble…What do I do!? I should help, but… it’s him!”

Unable to comprehend what the unicorn’s rambling, Celestia instead took hold of the telescope with her own magic, pointed it in the general direction Viator had been viewing and brought it to her eye. The sight that the alicorn was presented with made her proud friend’s sudden terror, and indecision on whether to help “him” all to understandable. Not far from where they stood, a grey pegasus and a moss green, hat-wearing earth pony were deftly trying to dodge the many biting heads of a towering hydra.

“Oh… him…”

Comments

[TheManWithTwoNames]

New chapter! Greatest day!

And I was wondering when we'd see Craggy again. I kinda missed the moron.

[Elastas]

Craggy...never stops chasing you...ever.

[rainbow-kazooie]

Greatest fanfic in all of history. And it only gets better with every update.

[kajisora]

If he has his sights on you, he WILL find you.
He might not be fast but HE NEVER STOPS!
Yayyyy Craggy's back!

Love the way you write Starswirl btw ^^

[LordOfTape]

great read. always love the new chapters!

[KaputSugar]

Geez, Discord really took some heat in that argument. I'd be a little pissed off if someone called me a freak or compared me to some non-sentient beast.