//------------------------------//
// 5 - The Basics 
// Story: Catalyst 
// by Meep the Changeling 
//------------------------------//

Ayna Trigger - 7th of Solarus, 17 EoH

Royal Pavilion, Trottingham - Equestria

The pony body I wore for business meetings was a bit itchy today. Perhaps I’m an odd changeling, but I have always hated shapechanging for the sake of disguise. Shifting should be used for fun, feeding, and amusing others. Not placating fears.

But I’d been a unicorn mare with similar coloration to my brother’s burnt orange and electric blue palate when I started doing business with Equestria, and so I had to use it every time. If only to be recognised as Ayna Trigger, chief executive engineer of SkyTech’s affiliate arcane R&D company.

The “pony” who got assigned to building the doorway for Twilight to come back through. After all, that was a job for a Wizard. Not an Engineer. Good thing I was both of those things.

Princess Celestia knew of my true identity, and recognised me in my natural form. However, the guards stationed at the Royal Pavilion erected within the grounds of Trottingham National Park as a temporary capital had no idea what I looked like. Tensions were high with the recent war, and the upsurge in lawlessness which followed thanks to the government being in a bit of a mess.

For as long as I remained in the arcanely reinforced white-silken portable throne room of a tent, I had to remain in this shape. And it was itchy, I’d probably put it on incorrectly when I’d shifted this morning. To make my own frustration worse, Celestia was understandably, but irritatingly, ignoring what I was saying out of desperation. Twilight’s absence was plaguing her, even worse than Shining, much to my surprise.

“It’s the Mage’s Library, Miss Trigger,” Celestia protested, her ears flicking down for a moment. “It has to have what we need.”

“I’m sorry, but there isn’t a book on locating known entities outside of our universe in the Library,” I apologised for the third time.


Celestia shook her head in disagreement, a look of complete rejection on her face. “That simply can’t be true! There must be a book on multiversal travel within the Mage’s Library. You’re their foremost expert on portals, you have to know where it would be.”

I didn’t blame Celestia for being upset. It had been just over a month since Twilight was banished and next to no progress had been made. As one should expect when undertaking a task which could be described as ‘Locate the correct card within this infinitely large pile of cards.’

Drastic measures had to be taken. I would need to rant a bit. I hated saying more than a few sentences at a time to non-friends. It felt… Anti-natural.

“Celestia,” I began with a weary sigh, steepening my hooves together on the table. “I am not speaking to you as a foreign diplomat to a monarch. I am not speaking to you as a friend of your sister to an acquaintance. I am not speaking to you mare to mare. I am speaking to you as a Library Wizard to a Wizard whose membership is honorary and who does not serve the Library.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “Very well, say your peace,” she said, giving me the greenlight for the rant by shifting position, taking on a more ‘willing to listen’ stance.

Well, at least she wasn’t too worried to understand that I was trying to say something important.

“The Mage’s Library is has operated continuously since the very beginning of recorded history, five thousand, one hundred, and ninety seven years ago,” I began, using the fact to pretend I was giving a lecture and not talking to an individual. “There is no question of that fact. The first Library Wizards are the ones who started writing history down in the first place. You are correct in that this has made the Library a very sizable collection of knowledge, one which seemingly possesses an answer for every problem. That notion is absurd.

“But I do understand that common belief. The Library is ancient, and fast. It’s one thousand, two hundred, and ninety eight years older than you, Celestia. Our goal has remained the same for that entire time, for all of recorded history. Seek out all books within the known world, copy them, and store them within the Library. This is a boon, and also a bane.

“The Quest for Knowledge has been taken so seriously that for thousands of years, any traveler coming into Trottingham would be searched for books, which would be confiscated, copied, and then returned. A tradition ended a mere two thousand six hundred years ago when one of our members attempted to copy your diary. That tradition was just one of dozens of different programs.

“Even to this day, we send archeologists, diplomats, and business mares all over the world in search of books and artifacts to add to the Library’s collection. Just as we have done since the very beginning. On top of that, for the last thousand years, upon your own request, we have also performed our own research, and funded expeditions into the world to examine all forms of curiosities and anomalies.

“Are you beginning to understand the problem, Celestia?”

Celestia shook her head twice. “No, I don’t. It still sounds like there is an excellent chance of finding what we need within the Mage’s Library,” she said with a steadfast determination born of a deeply seated need for hope.

Again.

I closed my eyes for a moment. I could taste her fear, distress, and desperation for hope. Such negative emotions are among the least pleasant flavors any changeling is likely to have the misfortune of coming into contact with.

I hated to close this avenue for her. I really did. But time spent on hope for the sake of one’s feelings is time that is wasted.

I am a Wizard, not a Doctor. I do not treat symptoms. I solve the problems which cause them.

Celestia, Shining, my own feelings, and anyone else’s feelings about Twilight’s absence were irrelevant. We needed to rescue her, not do something which will make us feel better while wasting her time, as that approach is ultimately futile.

“Alright, then allow me to continue explaining myself,” I said after a second spent summoning the will to continue talking in depth. “The miraculously uninterrupted process of acquiring any and all forms of knowledge possible has resulted in what very well may be the single largest library in the world, just as you imagine it to be. So large that the is serviced by a dedicated live in staff who preserve and copy decaying works, resulting in many of the books within the Library being the only copy remaining in the world.

“For the last two thousand years, simply out of the necessity of keeping the artifacts and knowledge we have curated safe, our process for obtaining a library card is so strict, lengthy, and robust that merely having a card is counted as having a masters degree in General Wizardry. Honestly, it should be equivalent to a Doctorate, as we require each member to familiarize themselves with a large selection relevant to their field as the final test.

“In order to possess my Library Card, I had to read and memorize sixty eight books on divination, and translocation. I had to prove that I knew the entire section of the library dealing with that knowledge like the flats of my hooves. At this point, three decades later, I am aware of all nine hundred and seventy one volumes within the ‘active use’ and ‘up to date’ part of divination and translocation section, and have some knowledge of the uncountable out of date, subsumed, and otherwise no longer useful books which are stored in the archives.

“I am telling you all of this, because I believe that with your strenuous workload, worrying about Twilight’s well being, and having not been inside the Library for three thousand years, that you have forgotten exactly what the Mage’s Library is. With your memory refreshed, let me rephrase my answer.”

I paused for a moment to take one quick breath. I was almost done. Yay!

“It is possible. The Library may have a volume detailing a means of locating known entities within other universes,” I explained, hoping that this time, by reminding her of just how unknowably vast the Library was, she might give up the idea of wasting time on searching for a probably-non-existent-needle in a haystack. “As the Library’s foremost expert in portals, and as a wizard who specializes in divination, I have not read any such work in my thirty years of Membership, nor has any such book been called to my attention.

“One could exist, this is true, but finding it within the ancient labyrinthine archives will take just as long as finding Twilight without its guidance, if not longer, simply because if it exists, it is not within the Divination and Transportation section and is therefore misshelved, lost, or a subsection within a volume on another subject, again, assuming it exists at all.

“Locating that book would take years, the services of many dedicated ponies, and could potentially require spelunking equipment, as the cave system beneath the Library has been used to store books during periods of overflow and there’s no way all of them have been retrieved from the caves. It will genuinely be faster to rediscover the knowledge ourselves than to check for a book in the Library which isn’t already on the shelf in the relevant section.”

Celestia gave me a skeptical look. “It can’t possibly be that bad,” she disagreed.

My eyes narrowed in irritation. This was like trying to headbut through a brick wall made with plasteel bricks welded together. Without shapeshifting into a Diamond Dog.

“Do you recall what my brother did for the steel industry?” I asked.

Celestia nodded. You didn’t exactly forget when someone arranged for the successful automation of an entire industry.

“Seven years ago, he offered to digitize the archives as a birthday present since I could not locate a book I needed, and KNEW for a fact existed. To this date, it’s the only time he’s ever gone back on his word, at least for now. I do not blame him in the slightest. He said he’d do it without having ever been there before.

“It would easily take a millennium to fully catalogue the Library, WITH the technological solutions he could come up with. And several more to create a digital copy of all its contents,” I stated as flatly and honestly as I could.

It was Celestia’s turn to sigh in frustration. She leaned forwards in her seat, hunching down to try and look at me on my eye level.

“Why are you so dead set against this plan?  I feel that it’s the fastest way to bring Twilight back to us. There’s almost always at least a sign to point the way. We don’t need anything big, I’m not looking for a Guide to Your Neighboring Universes. We only need something small, something simple, a way to track objects across dimensions. Certainly some obscure wizard discovered something! There’s been so many of them across so much time,” Celestia protested almost pleadingly.

“I don’t want to waste Twilight’s time,” I answered. “I have no confidence that your plan will work, though I do admit there’s a very slight chance of there being such a book. There’s a much greater chance that I’ll be able to reverse engineer the magics behind the book used to banish her. Because I have, to a small extent.”

Celestia blinked in shock. “Why didn’t you say so!?” She demanded, her eyes narrowing to glare daggers at me.

“You asked me to come here and listen to your proposal for an avenue this project might take. You did not ask me for a status update on the project,” I exclaimed with a confused frown and tilt of my head.

I could never understand people… They asked for a thing, I gave them that thing. If you wanted something else, why didn’t you ask for it?

Celestia took a deep breath, her gaze softening. “I’m sorry, Ayna. I forgot about your eccentricities. You are right, I am under a good deal of stress right now. I could really use some good news, please tell me what you’ve discovered.”

“I have managed to map the geometry of the portal opening, and the trigger mechanism for opening it,” I informed. “This will allow me to safely handle the book without activating its magics, making a more detailed examination possible. I am sorry that this has taken nearly a month to accomplish. Hard stuff is hard.

“A further development: I requested all dimensional Travelers come to my office to assist me in gathering information on means of travel. While it is true that SkyTech has two means of dimensional travel available, one of them is a broken teleporter which frankly is useless as its destination is random, and the other is useless for Twilight as it requires infrastructure on each end of the ‘tunnel’ to operate.

“The interviews bore fruit. I have learned of six different theoretical methods to breach the dimensional walls. Two of them I am confident I can utilize given enough time. More importantly, I have determined that two of the known extra-dimensional travelers within Equestria have been outside our multiverse entirely.

“One of them, a mare by the name of Derpy Hooves, just so happens to travel using the same arcane system as the book to travel herself. She has volunteered her services as an expert in D’ni books. While this book is written in a dialect she is unfamiliar with, according to her, trap books are written intentionally poorly. We are working to ‘crack it’ so to speak.”

“That’s excellent news!” Celestia exclaimed with a truly joyous smile. “How long will that take, and what will it achieve?”

Oh boy… Another answer which required a lot of talking. I really wish I didn’t have these social hangups.

“We can’t use the book to travel ourselves as it is unstable. Intentionally so,” I began with a shaky smile. “That portal is one way and has very odd properties. This knowledge comes from Derpy. Trapped books are designed to strand someone in a random universe, as such they strip those who use them of all possessions, dumping them out randomly into a universe with not a single thing to help them. This is because a D’ni author could escape imprisonment by having tucked a pencil and sheet of paper into their shoes.

“Using the book would strip us of any tools and materials taken to construct a return gate. Instead, we must crack the book and find out which multiverse its one way portal leads to. Then we must construct a means of scanning that multiverse, and toss random bits of junk into the portal while ‘scanning’ to see where it goes in order to find the specific universe in that ‘family’ where Twilight is.

“Assuming we hit a few roadblocks, and I believe we will, we should be ready to start scanning within a month, and will likely know where she is within three months, and can then begin to plan a serious rescue attempt. Of course, things may go faster. I prefer to prepare for worst case scenarios.”

After all, when you do that you’re ether always satisfied at having been correct, or pleasantly surprised.


Celestia’s eager nod brightened up the pavilion's emotional dimness as much of her desperation evaporated. The sudden lack of intense negative emotion being generated a meter from my nose did wonders for my mood as well.

Up until now, this conversation had been the equivalent of trying to hold a conversation with a huge pile of rotting dung sitting between you and the person you were talking to. One you couldn’t do anything about.

“Then we will see her return inside of three months?” Celestia asked me hopefully.

I shook my head gently, not wanting to upset her again. “No. We’ll probably see it within four months. We will be able to properly start a search and rescue mission within three months. We will naturally have to spend some time looking for her on the other side, and dealing with any problems which have arisen due to her being where she is.

“To go back to your book plan, we might finish searching one section of the archive within that same timeframe.” I finished.

“How many sections are there?” Celestia asked curiously, clearly now understanding that I hadn't been exaggerating earlier.

“No one person knows,” I laughed. “Not even the Head Librarian. And well, sh-”

“She’s a dragoness who hoards books, and the reason the Library exists in the first place,” Celestia said with a soft smile. “I know that much.”

I nodded. “Exactly,” I agreed. “I would very much like to return to work now, if that’s alright with you. While I am a realist when it comes to the timeframe, I also want her back sooner rather than later.”

Celestia nodded once more. “Yes, please! Keep me informed of all progress, I want personal reports once per week,” she ordered.

“Of course,” I agreed. “I will keep you informed of all significant progres. Now, if you'll excuse me, good day, your majesty.”

After giving Celestia a polite bow, I turned around, sliding out of my chair, then cast a quick spell on the pavilion's door. My spell took effect as I pushed the silver inlayed maple door open. Instead of leading out into the Guard Encampment within the National Park, the door opened into my laboratory in Phoenix.

The question for today was how would I take such a trivial thing as this spell and open a door for Twilight?

Twilight Sparkle - Day 4

The Machine Shop, South Jungle - The Island

Something smelled like grits. I never thought that a food which amounted to corn dust, water, and some salt could smell this good.

I sat up, bed creaking beneath me, eyes opening at the familiar sound, prompting a moment of confusion as I took in my surroundings.

I was sitting inside a room the size of my cabin, but with twice the height. Half the ceiling above me sloped downwards, and was a thick glass skylight, allowing the room to be lit with the warm light of dawn. The light glinted off the gold tinted metallic walls. They weren't painted, the metal itself held the color, and from heat discoloration by my best guess.

The walls had been tempered, and done so with a perfectly even heat to give each plate making up the walls a nice golden, straw color. That could not have been quick or easy to do.

Nor could the floors. The floors were a dyed light, earthy brown, rubber coated steel. The room’s door was a dark blue, kinda ripply, water-like yet opaque ‘screen’ with an interlocking hexagon pattern. The walls had pictures hung on them, photographs mostly, along with a few paintings. Landscapes, shots of a few creatures, all amature, but nice.

I was sitting on a metal bedframe. A fairly military-industrial looking affair, but it had a thick quilt, a soft spring mattress, and a great pillow. Sir Hoppyfox had a little bed too, though it was clearly just a nest made by smooshing a pile of towels to shape set beside the desk and locker on the opposite wall.

All in all, a very nice room. Hadn’t I spent the night in a grass hut?

I facepalmed, the last of my grogginess evaporating just a moment after asking myself that question.

I’d made a friend. She had a house. A very nice one. I’d gotten a tour last night.

And she’d cooked me an awesome meal, which meant that smell was more food that was not only nutritious, but delicious, and wouldn’t give me the runs!

I scrambled out of bed and crossed the room to the door, wondering how you opened the quasi-forcefield. The door dissolved as I drew near with a faint hum, leaving only the doorway, and letting in much more of the delicious breakfast smell!

The door opened up into a small, sunken half basement thing. The room I’d been given was a bit out of the way, stuck behind a sort of planning room with a map and table, along with access to the home’s generator and a door labeled ‘shield systems’.

To my right up a short ramp was a ginormous machine which I think Nyota said built things. That thing seriously took up half the interior space of her house. The two doors up the ramp to my left led to the rest of the house.

I walked to the left, jumping slightly as the door to my room rematerialized behind me. The sound that made was… I don't know. Not scary but, it still made the fur on your neck tingle.

As I walked towards the garage, which oddly enough was the house’s only entrance, I began to hear snatches of a conversation.

“No, I’m not cooking for her just ‘cause she’s hot,” Nyota rebuked dismissively.

Something growled quietly, almost as if in response.

“Well, aye, she is. But but even if she wasn’t, she’d deserve a good breakfast before the day's work!” Nyota objected.

I stopped walking, blushing lightly as I realized that my friend thought I was attractive. Based on what she was saying, that wasn’t motivating her to do anything, but every mare likes to know ponies think she looks nice.

Of course, the real question is who was she talking to? Did she have a radio or some other means of communication? Nyota had said she was a part of a tribe, they had to have some way of talking to one another.

I walked up the ramp to the door, the blue semi-solid structure dissolving to allow me through.

The faint hiss returned, this time louder, and with the slight growl I’d heard from the monstrous lizards outside accompanying the hiss. My eyes flicked fearfully around the garage, peering through the piles of old machine parts and equipment, eventually spotting Nyota next to a large cooking pot in the small alcove on the garage's right side.

She still had on the same olive cargo pants and black boots from last night, but had taken her vest off, leaving her chest bear. This was a problem because all of her equipment attached to her vest. And I also saw the massive pitch and mulberry colored, bipedal lizard-monster standing just a few steps behind her, its tail swishing back and forth eagerly!

“Quiet, ye,” Nyota laughed nervously. “Hey, Twilight? Is that you? I heard a door.”

“Um… Y-yes,” I whispered nervously, my ears falling flat. “There’s one of the big lizards behind you!”

“That’s just Razor, she’s a friend,” Nyota called soothingly. “Do you have any animal empathy spells? Cast one, she’s a person.”

The lizard turned around, sniffing at the air for a half second before one eye fixed on me. I felt my heart speed up worriedly, then the creature lifted one of its small three fingered hands and waved as best as its range of motion would allow.

I felt my eyes widen in surprise. Some of these creatures ware sapient?!

Drawing upon my magic, I cast the same simple spell I had used with the crocodile the other day. I felt the spell limp its way to completion, and winced realizing I would need to practice it more. Especially if I could negotiate with some of the creatures here.


WIth the spell active, I did my best to smile at the terrifying looking creature. “H-hello?” I ask-greeted, as Pinkie called it.

You shouldn’t fear me. Brightly colored creatures are poisonous. I don't get to come back after dying. So I won't eat you, Razor ‘said’ with a friendly sounding clicking-hiss.

I blinked, completely floored by the unmistakably person level thoughts the spell was translating. “Oh, um… That’s good!” I said through the surprised stupor.

Admittedly, ponies were toxic to most other creatures. Or at least, our meat was, since our muscle tissues used iocane as a bonding agent. But a large number of creatures were pretty much immune to iocane poisoning, and could eat us. Which is why we called them monsters.

I didn’t want to tell Razor that. Just incase that was the only thing keeping me alive.

Nyota laughed. “I can almost hear your surprise,” she snickered. “How good’s your spell? My talent lets me hear her ‘speech’ just like anyone else.”

“I’m getting person-type thoughts,” I clarified, taking a few steps forwards as Razor turned back to face the cooking pit, tongue flicking eagerly. “S-so um, how did you two become friends? Did she not want to eat you because of your colors too?”

No, Razor replied with a chuff. I ate her, and her equipment dropped like any non-dino. I knew she would come back for it so I waited because I was still hungry. She came back, naked, and kicked me in the nose. So I bit her in the thigh. So she punched me in the face. Then I clawed her stomach open, she died, and I ate her again.

“And that pissed me right the buck off because I’d died two times in one day, and that was my first death in a decade and a half. A new record,” Nyota continued, still working the cooking pot. “So I went back again, and this time came in from behind and landed a roundhouse kick right in her spine from behind. Which pissed her off because I’d managed to sneak up on her, so she cuts my left leg open with a back-kick.

“Now I can’t run or fight to effectively, so I get up into a boxing stance and give her a haymaker as she turned around that laid her out cold for a few seconds. When she came to, she was pretty damn impressed with my punch.”

I respect her for it. We’re friends now! Razor chirped, turning and kind-of-but-not-quite smiled at me.

“Yeah,” Nyota said with a smile. “I needed a new mount, and she likes giving people rides. I asked if she would work with me in exchange for food, and she said no because she can get it on her own. That’s where she was last night, if you were wondering. Out picking up some meat for us to share, and making sure that those assholes across the swamp know I’m back in my yard.”

They taste like poop unless Nye cooks them for me, Razor explained.

“Oh,” I said, walking around the junk pile a bit apprehensively.

Razor might be friendly now… But that story made it abundantly clear she was just fine with killing and eating other people. Which admittedly, any sapient carnivore would likely be just fine with that. Especially in a world where that kind of prey would just come back to life a moment later.

I froze mid step. ‘Unless she cooks them for me’. “Um, s-so are you cooking…”

“Mmmhm, I’d rather not, but she hates to waste meat... Razor ambushed a few of Charlie’s coming into my yard, and they carrying a LOT of C4. They’re all pissy again. Don’t fret over it, I know how to scare them off. If I don’t scare the shit out of those assholes with some slasher movie level stuff, they will launch daily raids against us, stalk us while we travel, do their best to get in here and kill any creatures we’ve tamed,” Nyota sighed bitterly. “Look, I know how this looks, and it bothered me at first too, but honestly, other survivors are more dangerous than any predators. Ye need to use whatever tactics you can to keep them at bay.”

I nodded, grimacing slowly. “Um, okay… I can see why you might scatter pieces. But why cook and eat them? That’s… That’s just-”

Nyota doesn't eat them! I do. It’s just meat. It’s not like they stay dead. They already have more meat. Besides, if I don't eat the parts of them I didn’t scatter near their nest it would just rot and be wasted, Razor elaborated with a chuffing laugh. But they taste very bad, might kill me if eaten raw, and I can’t use the cooking pot, or open spice jars without breaking them. So she helps me, like a good friend. You are a herbivore, yes? I can see how this could be disgusting to you. But I need to eat too, and I already killed this meat. Why waste it?

I nodded, definitely disgusted, but now understanding of the situation. “Um, just a bit. But I think I understand. The only really gross part is that um… Whatever’s in that pot smells… Uh, good. And the thought of an equine cooking sapient creatures is kinda… Yeah,” I explained ears completely flattened.

Razor held her ‘hands’ out to me and wiggled her claws, frowning sadly. Nye keeps saying she will make me gloves that will help me use her things, but she never does.

“Sorry, just been too busy with the move. I’ll start work on those today,” Nyota apologised. “In less distressing news, that good smell is yer breakfast. I made it five minutes ago. In a different cooker. Grits, with redwood syrup. Eat up, ye’ll need it!”

“Oh!” I said with a relieved smile, turning my head to look for the table, eventually spotting a wooden bowl filled with a thick orangey yellow pudding-like goop which looked more appetizing than it should.

I stepped over to the table and picked up the bowl, deciding to eat while standing since there wasn’t a chair in sight.

“I’m glad you didn’t use the same pot,” I admitted, wanted to be as honest as I could.

That was important when starting a new friendship.

“I have to. Charlie’s Boys are… Well, ye know how a normal organic creature is about sixty percent water? Well, those guys are fifty percent water, ten percent residual drugs,” Nyota grumbled in disgust. “So this pot is just for cooking the poison out of things.”

“Woah, woah, hold up a second!” I said, nearly dropping the bowl. “Is that exaggeration, or actual fact?”

I hadn't been able to tell by her tone of voice at all.

“It might as well be serious,” Nyota grumbled. “Ye can use their blood as an effective poison for anything half your size. Except for Troodons, of course. They are a bunch of scum who found out how to make drugs in here and spend most of their time stoned out of their minds, then snort a bunch of stims when Charlie yells at them to go attack something.

“It’s why fear works against them best. They are already twitchy, jumpy, and their minds will take the first sign of danger and amp it up to eleven.”

I felt my jaw drop. “H-how are they even alive?” I asked of reality itself.

“They die from overdoses a lot. Problem is there’s about a hundred of them in that village, so there’s always a good squad ready to go,” Nyota sighed. “Don't worry, the other tribes here are at least sane, even if most are hostile.”

My ears perked up at the ‘good’ news. “Oh! So you only need to do this for the one group? Does everyone else do it too?” I asked curiously.

Nyota shrugged. “A few others might. But most people living near them don't live on their own. They have friends. Razor and I are alone up here, normally. That’s why my Tribemates and I are moving, to unify our individual bases into one large keep. For the two of us, the way we keep our house is by making sure Charlie thinks both of us are terrifying predators. Especially since she’s always wanted my land for herself. Controlling an obelisk is very useful, especially for raiders.

“We can go over the local Tribes and how to deal with them another day. Razor and I have a lesson plan ready to go for you as soon as you're done eating… Or if you’re uncomfortable with it, I got a big bin of thatch and fiber. You can spend the day making it into hats, since crafting things will make your survivor level increase much faster.”

I nodded and started to eat. The girts tasted very good, but I was still a little queasy from the morning’s discovery. Though I really couldn’t fault Razor for doing what she did. And presumably what she was designed to do. Especially since she didn’t hurt her friends, only her enemies, and used a ‘waste not’ mentality.

“What’s the plan?” I asked after a few large mouthfuls.

Nyota nodded to herself, and waved her implant over the cooking pot, a moment later conjuring a large wooden trough full of meat that I choose not to look at for Razor to dig into. With her friend’s meal served, Nyota turned around and leaned up against the cooking pot, crossing her arms over her chest while she looked at me critically.

“First, what did ye do? To Charlie, I mean,” she asked suspiciously.

“Um… Well, when Camoflauge was leading me over here she ambushed us and I shot her mount,” I said after doing my best to recall the last few days. “Why is that important?”

Nyota groaned. “Her albino pterodactyl?” She asked uneasily.

“Oh… That was a rare creature, wasn’t it?” I asked with a wince.

Nyota nodded. “Mhm. The only reason her Boys would come here with enough C4 to breach the wall is she’s pissed, more so than normal, and I haven’t done jack to her. It had to have been you. She loves her petra, it’s probably the only thing she’s ever loved. She’ll want yer head… But it’s fine, I can deal with it,” Nyota said as she stood up, stretching her arms, a few of her joints popping as she moved.

“Oh! Camo also gave me her gun!” I added, wondering if that would be important.

Nyota’s palm smashed into her face so hard I swore I heard something crack. “Gods dammit, Camo!” Nyota shouted through her palm.

“What?” I asked, ears drooping worriedly.

“There are advanced tricks you can do after you learn the basics of the Engram system,” Nyota began, pacing as if giving a lecture.. “One of them allows you to create non-engram items, as well as customize them. When you do this, those items leave the system and can no longer be stored digitally. They become permanent. This has it’s perks and drawbacks.

“I’ll show you how to do it in good time, but for now, all you need to know is that revolver was scratch made by hand. Anything you make like that is going to be very, very special to you, even if it’s a total piece of crap. Do you still have her gun?”

I shook my head no. “I um, I lost it when I got… Eaten.”

“Ah,” Nyota said with a sympathetic nod. “Well, at least you’re aware of how death works here… Downside, ye’ve made an enemy out of one of the nastiest people here. But it’s fine. She just needs to know that ye’re under my protection, and I need to remind her why messing with me isn’t a good idea.

“Which means I am going to be busy today. I knew I would be ever since last night. So Razor and I talked it over and we decided that if you could understand her, she would be your teacher for today.”

I turned to look at Razor, deciding to be polite to the friendly murder-machine. “What will you be teaching me?” I asked, also wanting to know exactly what the lesson would be.

People like you use non-people dinosaurs, and other creatures, for many things. You need to know what they are, and how to feed them. Once tamed, most carnivores do not hunt on their own, the wimps! Razor grumbled irritably, cracking her tail in genuine anger.


I tilted my head to one side, a confused frown parting my lips. “This is probably a silly question, but why would I want to tame a predator? I don't plan on eating meat, and the only thing I can think of which one would be good for is-”

“Being a swift mount which can take down large creatures with relative ease,” Nyota began, speaking as if reciting a list. “Protect your home while you sleep, helping you clear caves to acquire the artifacts needed to create the more advanced gear, provide access to areas you can't reach on your own which contain resources you’ll need if you want to be safe and also have a fighting chance against hostile tribes-”

“Okay, I understand… But is that worth the risk of keeping something that would be trying to eat me normally around? Um, no offense, Razor,” I said, giving Razor a quick look.

Why would I be offended by ignorance? Tamed creatures love their masters. They will never harm their masters. Razor explained with a clicky-hiss. You will need to know how to tame creatures to do the things you can not. Prey is easy, you simply get it food, and it’s food is everywhere. For creatures like me, you must do the same, but the kill must be fresh.

I will take you around the jungle, and show you the creatures living here, how to track them, how best to hunt them, and what they can do for you if tamed. Nye says you are very smart. I don't think I can make you an average hunter in less than a week, but I think I can teach you how to recognise prey and predators in one day.

But it will be all day, and you will be running a lot. I do not walk in the jungle. It is beneath me.

I nodded, eagerly in fact. “That actually seems like one of the more important things to learn! Even if I don’t end up taming things. So creatures like you are called dinosaurs? Is that true of only bipedal lizards, or all of the lizard-like creatures here?”

“Almost all of them,” Nyota confirmed for me. “Some are just lizards. Others are technically birds.”

“Good to know,” I thanked with a polite nod, realizing I was about to be shown the differences and therefore didn’t need to ask how to tell the groups apart. “I guess I’m all ready to go then.”

Razor chuffed, the sound not translating back into any word. Prompting me to frown. Had the spell worn off so soon? It should last for half a day or so...

Nyota frowned as well, tilting her head slightly. “Hey, Razor, I don’t think she got that,” she prompted.

Razor blinked turning her head to center one eye on me. I said, she repeated, making the same sound, which just didn’t translate at all.

“Um, I think there’s a few holes in my spell. Which makes sense. I didn’t exactly perfect it,” I admitted with a light blush. “Nyota, what is she saying?”

“It’s the raptor equivalent to, oohrah! Ye know, that military grunt-cheer the Emerald Hive uses,” Nyota informed, turning to start picking through one of the piles of junk. “You two have fun. I need to rewire sixty some odd detonators.”

“Alright,” I agreed, moving to take another bite of breakfast before it got too cold. “I guess I’m pretty much ready to-”

Let’s go! We’re wasting sunlight, Razor hissed, gently bumping me with her nose, pushing me towards the door.

I hadn’t finished eating yet, but I wasn’t going to argue with her…

Twilight Sparkle- Day 4 (late evening)

South Jungle - The Island

Razor was a great teacher, and a terrifying teacher.

On one hoof, there was no way anyone else could have shown me all the little details that she could simply because of what she was. My vision wasn’t as good, and she understood that, but she still showed me how to recognize game markings from about six meters, and how to compare that to a list of scents to tell exactly what creature had made it, and how long ago.

She also went out of her way to capture samples of everything, running back with a random creature, tell me it’s name, and demand I memorize its scent.

Fortunately, I could do that. I definitely still had a pony’s nose.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t do everything she wanted me too. Which was when she became a terrifying teacher. When I couldn’t pick out individual sounds from the animal call filled jungle, she’d vanished, abandoning me completely until I correctly yelled out the creature’s name.

I knew that meant she was still within earshot, but it was still terrifying to be told ‘That’s the call of a dilophosaurus. It spits into your eyes to blind you. We will now go elsewhere and you will pick out it’s call and tell me the direction it's in.’ and then get abandoned.

I hated that so much. But I had to admit it worked. Fear definitely let me focus on individual sounds better, but I wasn’t making the kind of progress Razor had wanted me to. We’d be at this for at least two more days.

That said, I did learn a LOT about the local wildlife. As I noticed the sun starting to set I remembered one moment in particular.





Razor grabbed onto my shoulder as we entered an oddly clear spot in the jungle at the base of a hill. Some ruined stone archways sat right at the base of the hill, and a small dinosaur stood just at their base, it's back to the stone, head flicking left and right, as if keeping watch.

That is a Troodon, Razor informed quietly. They are very very smart. Maybe smarter than me. During the day, they are not interested in fighting unless you get too close to them. At night, it would be running right for us even at this distance.

”So, they are very aggressive at night?” I asked worriedly.

Extremely. Their bite is also poisonous. When Nye is not busy, she will make you things to carry. There will be a little jar of bad smelling stuff. When one bites you, you drink that immediately, or you will pass out within seconds, and the Troodon will tear you apart, sharing you with any of its friends which are nearby, she warned her growls somehow sounding fearful and direly serious.





I remembered Nyota mentioning Troodons before. It was almost the same time today when she’d said they would be ‘waking up’ the other day. And we were close to that clearing we had been in earlier.

“Razor?” I said quietly. “I think that the Troodons will be hunting soon.”

Yes, they will be. I am happy you are learning, Razor praised with a high pitched chirp.

“Shouldn’t we go home?” I asked, frowning wearily as I did my best to look around for any sign of their ‘scouts’.

We should. You are not equipped to fight them. We will save that lesson for later, Razor hissed after a moment’s thought. Do you know where the house is?

I bit my lip and looked up through the trees. I could see the slight red glow of the tower through the canopy, and since Nyota’s house was uphill on a straight line path to it…

“Yes, I know where it is from here,” I answered proudly.

Good! Then your test for today is to get home. If you walk in through the door, I will tell Nyota to reward you somehow. If you wake up in your bed, there will be no prize, she said adamantly, flicking her tongue twice.

I froze, eyes widening in horror. “W-wait! You’re going to make me run home alone?! With those things out here?!?”

Yes. We are teaching you how to survive here. You need to know how to move around at night, and experience is the best teacher. I showed you what Troodons look, smell, and sound like. You need to know if you can evade and avoid them. She answered, lashing her tail.

“But I’m really new at this!” I protested. “Can't this wait another day? I could die!”

Razor rolled her eyes. I’m treating you just like I would my own hatchlings who were worth keeping. Unlike them, if you die, you keep living. The pain will be motivation to not make mistakes in the future. I told you everything you need to know. You know where the house is. Show me you learned today’s lessons.

Razor turned around and raced off into the jungle, immediately vanishing thanks to a level of speed she hadn’t shown me before. 

I stood in the jungle. Alone again. But this time knowing that there absolutly were things hunting me. Or at least, that there was about to be. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. Razor was right. I needed to know how to deal with being alone in this place.

Besides, she’d left me alone a lot today. And by alone, she’d really been close by, ready to protect me. She had to be here now too.

I could do this. Maybe I could make it back home before they went out to hun-

Something chirped quietly in a bush a few meters to my left.

The Alpha just left. Horn-horse is alone now, my spell translated.

OH NO! She’d said they might be smarter than her, that meant people smart too!

I turned, scrambling to get my bearings. I needed to make a straight line for Nyota’s house, if I accidently ran for the beach…

Finaly! another chip ‘squeed’. She smells SO GOOD! She’s tagged, right?

Yes. I can see the tag. She will come back if killed, the first chirper answered.

Good! I’m sure she won't mind feeding us then, the second said happily and in a way which clearly showed it wasn’t joking. I wouldn’t.

Wait! If they were people-smart, maybe I could negotiate. Razor understood Zebrican, so maybe they would too!.

“Actually, I would really prefer if you didn’t eat me!” I called in the direction of the chirping.

I wonder what she just said, A Trodoon chirped.

Probably calling for the Alpha. She’s been afraid every time it’s left her alone today, the scout answered. Is Chipfang in the pack tonight? She says she can understand human.

Nope…

I spun on my left heel, dug my foot as deep into the ground as I could for traction, and took off sprinting for the dull red glow of the tower.

Oop! She’s running, all talons pursue! Remember, her den has living bang-sticks on the top. Don't let them see you! Something hissed.

I ducked left to avoid a tree, my heart pounding faster as I realized the course correction cost me some speed. The dog sized lizards were fast, very fast. I couldn’t lose any speed!

I could hear the brush behind me rustle, snap, and creak as a dozen different things raced after me. The jungle seemed to reach out, slapping at my face, shoulders, and chest, the branches almost like arms trying to slow me down.

I plowed through them as best I could, the terrain slowly sloping upwards with each step. I was on the right path, but the monsters were SO CLOSE! I could hear them just a couple meters behind me, their hisses and screeches wordless cries of exhilaration and joy.

They LOVED to chase prey. They lived for it. This was a game to them.

Something shot by my left ear, a huge dark-brown and blue-green ball of scales and short fuz. It rocketed right into the trunk of a tree with a loud thump.

Ow… Ah great, my talons are stuck! It chirped in distress.

Smooth moves, Blacktip! Another of the Troodons hissed behind me.

The jungle suddenly gave way to a grassy clearing. I could see Nyota’s house and the rocky hill it sat upon just a hundred meters in front of me! All I had to do was run up the side of the hill and-

NO! No I couldn’t do that, Cam had told me there was a minefield. I had to run around the side to the ramp! Four hundred meters. I would never make that in a million years.

But I’d try anyways.

Ignoring my burning lungs and aching legs I turned to run around the hill, reaching the base of the rocky outcrop to hug it, hoping that would make it easier to find the ramp if I got near it.

A half second after I began to run along the side of the hill the night air erupted with the sound of countless thunderclaps all going off at once. The terrifying sound lent further speed to my steps! I had come from so close! What the heck was it!?

Damnit, she’s inside the place they can see! A Trodoon screeched angrily.

We’re hungry and you have infinite bodies! Another hissed angrily. Selfish jerk!

Come on… We’ll find other food, another grumbled.

What?

I stopped, turning around, seeing a pack of eight Trodoons slinking back off into the tall grass, vanishing into the night.

Well… That was terrifying. It’s going to take forever for my heart to beat normally again.

Despite the threat being apparently gone, I continued running, making my way around the hill and up the ramp. I crossed the deck in a heartbeat, moving so quickly I almost hit the massive energy-door before it dissolved, coming to a stop in the garage, immediately leaning over, to pant with exhaustion.

I must have sprinted for a whole five hundred meters… My legs were on fire!

“Are ye saying ye just left her out there at night!? What the buck, Razor!” Nyota snapped from deeper inside her house.

You said to treat her like my hatchling. So I did, Razor growled defensively. If my hatchling couldn’t make it back home after learning how to recognise danger, then it wouldn’t deserve to live.

The distinctive sound of a facepalm made my ears twitch. “Oh gods, I forgot ye are completely fixed into the survival of the fittest ideology…” Nyota moaned. “Razor, she’s a pony, not a raptor. She’ got no natural weapons. She’s not very fast, not unless we have her dump her nanite upgrades into her speed. Which we should.

“She’s a herbivore with no natural weapons. Until I get her some good weapons and armor, protect her!”

But she’ll just come back to life here in her bed! She’s not like me, I just have one life, Razor protested. Why should she care if she dies?

“Because it’s painful, and terrifying, and leaves some lasting emotional scars,” Nyota chastised. “Our bodies dying isn’t a problem, but our minds can die too… I don’t think I could explain it to you. You don’t share our psychology. Just understand that it’s possible for us to go from person to animal if put under enough stress, fear, and pain!”

Oh. That would be horrible, Razor whimpered remorsefully. I’m sorry.

“Apologize to her, not to me!” Nyota exclaimed angrily.

I walked across the garage and opened the door into the basement area. Nyota and Razor were standing next to the railing by the big machine thingie.

“I made it,” I informed wearily. “And I accept that apology, Razor. I’m going to bed now…”

I will be less… Raptory tomorrow. If you still want me to teach you, Razor hissed softly. I would understand if you did not. I did not know that fear could be dangerous for you.

“That would be nice. You’re good at it… And everyone deserves a second chance,” I mumbled, exhaustion creeping in.

After jogging all day, that sprint took what little energy I had left.

I opened my room’s door and stepped inside. “Goodnight,” I called behind me.

“Night, lass. And I’ll stay up late to get you proper armor for tomorrow. Sleep well,” Nyota promised.

The door closed behind me. I turned and fell face first onto my bed, falling asleep and instant after Sir Hoppyfox jumped up onto the bed to lay on my back.

Heh. Like a kitty.