//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: To Perytonia // by Cloudy Skies //------------------------------// Fluttershy I don’t rightly know what to make of your last letter. You can’t expect me not to speak up when I hear somepony giving another a tough time like that in public. The way I saw it, Rainbow Dash was giving you a hard time the likes of which I’d never give any of my friends, that’s for sure. Now, I don’t know her any better than I know you. To my understanding she’s a real loud one, but it just wasn’t right, the way she kept bothering you about I don’t know what. Something about getting you to sing? You’re asking me to make promises I can’t keep, and I don’t understand why. PS: Also, I saw you delivering the last letter earlier today, and I’m fairly sure you saw me. Must’ve heard me, too, but you just kept flying. If I’ve done anything wrong, you’ll need to tell me. You should come over for dinner anyway. Might be easier for you to explain this that way. I still can’t make heads or tails of none of this. -AJ Getting back was harder than it should have been. Simply finding the Grove again took a little effort, and more than a few innocent bushes were bothered before they finally pushed through the vegetation to the crater’s lip. Once inside, they were nowhere near the carving that marked the path they’d used to leave. Even then, without an address—did these peryton even use addresses?—the ponies were forced to ask for directions based on Mennau’s name alone. Though there were surprisingly many peryton still out and about late at night, clear answers were hard to come by. “Barber shop? A weird spa? I don’t know, he does some ‘shaving’, like the marks on your—augh, okay, you don’t have any, but like most of you have on your flanks,” said Dash, whipping her tail in frustration. “Do I know a Mennau? I do, but I know his as a shaving-house, not a ‘spa’,” said the brown stag, tilting his head to one side. “Same thing,” said Dash, rolling her eyes. The peryton frowned ever so slightly. “Two things that—” “I get it!” Dash said. “Two things that are not the same, are not the same. I know!” “We would be very grateful if you could tell us where Mennau’s shaving-house is,” said Fluttershy, unsubtly nudging Rainbow Dash in the side. “Please.” The stag nodded. “It is root-level on the first inner circle, or fifth middle circle, facing towards the pink way.” “Could you point us in the right direction, please?” asked Fluttershy before Rainbow Dash got in a single word, and that was probably for the best. It took no less than four equally frustrating conversations—and one brief questioning from a patrol of painted peryton—before they actually spotted the barely-familiar place they’d left hours earlier. At least, Dash thought it was the same place they had left. Fluttershy stopped them both in the shadow of the neighbouring tree. “Okay, I got nothing,” said Dash. “Do you think she’s in trouble?” asked Fluttershy, digging the tip of a hoof into the ground. “Rarity? Nah. But I have no idea what’s going on.” The line outside their house, or Mennau’s Shaving House, went all the way to the other side of the path. Peryton stags and does chatted amicably, some of whom were painted with camouflage, most in their natural colours, and all in a fairly organised line leading away from the tree. As the two pegasi watched, a peryton wandered out the open door and past the line, heading off in the opposite direction. Rainbow Dash could have sworn this particular peryton actually smiled as they glanced at their own flank before flying away. “We should probably go check, just in case,” suggested Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash nodded sharply and followed her towards the entrance. When they trotted along the line, Fluttershy muttered excuse-me’s and sorry-to-cut-in’s as they moved past the peryton, but the closest they got to any protests were some strange looks. Either they weren’t given to quarrelling, or they didn’t know how to react to ponies. It got them to the front of the line anyway. Dash smiled at the stag who waited at the threshold and ducked past him. “Rarity, what the—” “I understand, dear,” said Rarity, flashing Dash a smile by way of greeting before she turned back to the peryton stag inside the room. “Now, this Chorossa, does the Aspect have a symbol? I have done many Aspect symbols today, but not Chorossa. If you can describe it, I’ll certainly do my best—and you want it next to the other ones, which you want touched up?” “If you would do this for me, I will swear to aid you,” said the stag, muzzle tilted forwards in an understated peryton bow. “As for Chorossa, their symbol is neither known nor static. It ever changes. What matters is the intent that goes into its making.” “Artistic license? Wonderful!” said Rarity. “Ah, give me but a moment. I think my friends need me.” “Do we?” asked Dash. “Sure? Rarity, what the hay are you up to?” She didn’t know whether to laugh or—well. No, she pretty much wanted to laugh, and Fluttershy simply smiled at Rarity and waved, then craned her neck to look out the door again as if to confirm that, yep, there was still a line there. Coat-hairs of all colours littered the ground around the little workstation and the peryton stag Rarity had spoken to presently half stood, half lay at the bench, waiting to add to the pile of shavings. “It’s neither hard to see nor to appreciate, is it?” asked Rarity in return, shrugging. “I’m helping these peryton with their chosen form of self-expression, and respectfully, if this is Mennau’s work, hobby or whatever else, then to my eyes, he is a true artist despite Phoreni’s words.” With a glimmer of magic, she brushed the floor clean of hairs, dumping them in the bucket with a lot of other detritus. Only now did Rainbow Dash notice that she wasn’t providing light for the room; the lamp inside the room glowed pleasantly, no longer empty. “As it turns out,” said Rarity, “Phoreni was serious when she said they don’t look down upon other uses of magic. They just have very strong opinions of their own use.” She followed Dash’s gaze to the room’s light-source. “And they are very appreciative when somepony with creative skill and proper grooming magic comes along. A very kind doe thanked me by filling the lamp with glowing berries and some filtering fluid.” “That was very nice of her,” said Fluttershy, looking around the room. “Did some of them do a little cleaning and tidying, too?” When she said it, Dash sniffed at the air. It smelled different. Some kind of soap? “Well, yes, but I never asked them to. I do this gratis.” Rarity raised her snout a tad. “You’ve been here for a few hours, and you’ve already made a new boutique? Awesome!” Now, Rainbow Dash did laugh. She held out a hoof. “Come on, hit me.” Rarity gave her a half-smile and rolled her eyes, tapping Rainbow Dash lightly on the hoof. “It’s hardly anything of the sort. Now, much more importantly: did the two of you have a good time? You will need to tell me everything once I’m done—oh. But it is getting late, is it not? Hm.” She turned to her newest customer, slumping ever so slightly. “You will have to forgive me, but my friends and I must get some rest. Will you be terribly disappointed if I ask you to come back some other time? Perhaps tomorrow? I think we will be here for a while yet.” The peryton stag rose and shook his head ever so slightly. “Am I disappointed? A little, but I respect that your time is your own, and hope to return. I have seen the skill of your craft in one of my friends.” “Thank you for your understanding, truly,” said Rarity, smiling brightly. “Have a wonderful night still.” The stag said nothing more, but traded words with the other peryton outside, and before long, the line dissolved. Fluttershy nudged the door shut while Rarity cleaned her little workspace. “Now, you didn’t answer,” said the unicorn as she swept the last of the hairs off the bench. She tried to hide the little glances she cast their way. “Did you enjoy yourselves? And… what came of your talk? You came back together, at least.” Dash chuckled. “I don’t know what we could’ve done that would make us not come back together.” She grinned and looked over at Fluttershy, and though she looked a tad nervous—if her wings were anything to go by—she smiled all the same. “We’re gonna try it. The whole girlfriends thing.” “The ‘girlfriends thing’”, Rarity repeated with a deadpan stare. “I swear, romance—” “Told you she was gonna say we’re bad at it,” Dash said, snickering. Fluttershy giggled and shook her head at Rarity’s confused look. “We had a lovely time. The forest is very pretty, and I think you would have liked it,” Fluttershy said. “We didn’t find any of the animals we hoped to see, but that’s okay.” “Ah, you went looking for forest creatures?” asked Rarity, arching a brow. “Yes, Rainbow Dash suggested we go see if we could find some ferralopes. Or, I mean, we agreed to,” said Fluttershy, beaming. “We just sat on a hilltop and talked for a bit instead, and we decided we’d try being together. I think that’d be very nice. Or, I mean, we do,” she corrected herself. “I think.” Dash sighed and took a sideways step, bumping into and leaning against the taller mare. “Yes, we do. Both of us.” Fluttershy’s cheeks lit up at that, but her smile redoubled, and she leaned back against Rainbow Dash with some hesitance. For her part, Rarity nodded and smiled, moving over to the kitchen section as she spoke. “Details, dears. I’m going to need details. Come. You’ll tell me all about it while we clean up. One of the peryton showed me how to work this water pump.” “And then we came back here,” Fluttershy concluded. “We don’t really have any plan. We’re just, um, rolling with it,” she said. “That’s right,” said Dash, grinning. She pulled her hoof back when Rarity let it go to soak the washcloth the basin again. For the second time in two days, her coat had been restored to its rightful shade of blue. “It’s no declaration of love under a setting sun or somesuch,” said Rarity with a wan smile. “But a hilltop in a glowing forest is an acceptable substitute.” “I think I liked it better this way, really,” said Fluttershy, running a hoof through her damp mane. Rarity nodded sharply. “And that is what matters. Thank you for sharing, and truly, it sounds like you had an absolutely lovely time. I’m very happy for you two.” The unicorn smiled at them both. “And plans or no plans, this will certainly cause a stir in Ponyville when we return!” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Oh jeez, I can’t wait to see the looks on everypony’s faces.” Fluttershy’s ears wilted. “Just thinking about Pinkie Pie’s reaction is enough for me right now, actually. She’s going to be very loud.” Dash grinned. “Cold hooves? Change your mind? Because if you change your mind because of Pinkie Pie, I get it. That’s fair.” Fluttershy giggled and shook her head. Rarity rubbed at the bottom of her own forehooves before wringing the washcloth. “Hey, did any of your admirers give you any food?” Dash asked. “I’ve been hungry for hours.” “I’m afraid not,” replied Rarity, slowly getting up. “We should try our best to find a restaurant of some sort tomorrow morning, I suppose. There is some food left at the bottom of the box Naressa gave us, though.” “If they weren’t gonna pay you, the least they could’ve done to say thanks was give you something to eat,” muttered Dash. She trotted over to where all their stuff lay next to the table, finding the kelp cakes she had spotted earlier that night, as well as a treasure trove of jelly treats packed near the bottom. Fluttershy took a seat next to her, and Dash divvied up the food. One to her, one to Fluttershy, one to her, one to Rarity. “Speaking of your customers, were they all as, um, short with their words as Phoreni?” asked Fluttershy. “You mean, were they all as brusque, unapologetic and rude?” Rarity asked, filling their water-bowls at the kitchen pump. “Oh, no! I didn’t say that, I just meant—” Fluttershy tried, but Rarity cut her off with a smile, sitting down next to them. “I know what you meant, dear,” said Rarity, rearranging the jellied snacks so they had an equal amount, all without looking at Rainbow Dash. “The answer is, yes, they’ve all been a little on the ‘short’ side with their words, but I’ve found them to be very polite. They just don’t express it in the way we do.” “Ihf’nt fha’ hwa’—” Dash said, pausing only to swallow. “Uh, isn’t that what politeness is about? You get really upset when ponies don’t say ‘thank you’.” “Darling,” said Rarity, frowning and brushing some of Dash’s jelly treat off her chest. “There’s a difference between not saying thank you, and not being appreciative. One can put on a hard front and still be sincere. I think you of all ponies should know that.” Rarity looked at Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in turn at that. Dash glanced down to make sure she hadn’t spilled more food on herself, but she hadn’t. “Regardless,” added Rarity. “The peryton here were in fact very appreciative of my work.” “They must have been,” said Fluttershy, proffering the water bowl to Dash. “The line stretched across the road.” “I suppose rumour spreads quickly here,” said Rarity, inspecting one of her own forehooves nonchalantly. Dash shrugged and took a long draught of water. “Eh. You probably deserve it anyway, I’m happy for you.” She glanced at the other end of the table where Rarity had began unpacking their stuff. The only thing that stood untouched was her supply chest. Fluttershy didn’t miss Dash’s look, furrowing her brow. “Did you ask them about other fashion?” she said, following up on Dash’s thought before it had even formed. Where Rarity had been practically glowing with pride a moment ago, that light was snuffed out in an instant. “No, I have not, and I do not think it serves a purpose.” “Oh dear,” said Fluttershy, laying her ears flat. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” “Nothing dramatic. Or rather, nothing new,” said Rarity, sighing. “You will have noticed that of course they don’t wear any clothes here, and though they were grateful for my work, I got the impression that they considered trying on a scarf or letting me match some fabrics to their coats some foreign custom, a ritual to amuse me. I asked them about the Ortosian and Stagrumite customs, and while they knew of them, they had no interest at all.” Dash grimaced. “That’s not great.” “It’s hardly surprising, though, is it?” Rarity asked. “On the bright side, I have dozens of peryton who have sworn that they will ‘defend my cause until Daros takes their wings’.” Rarity gave a lopsided smirk. “I suppose that is something.” Fluttershy shook her head slightly. “It’s the same thing that happened when we came to Stagrum. Phydra said that they all have these same Aspects in common, but even that bit isn’t as true as I thought it would be. Not that I think Phydra lied, but it’s really strange.” Rarity brought a foreleg up to cover a yawn. “Mm, you’re right. I’ve heard more names for Aspects tossed about than ever before, but not a single one has had a particularly close relationship with the most popular ones in Orto or Stagrum.” “Yeah, we talked about it a little bit,” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s like every city is as different as Appaloosa and Canterlot, but whatever, that’s fine—or, it’s not fine. I don’t know. What I really don’t understand is what’s keeping them all together. Like Ponyville’s a little bit like Appaloosa and a little bit like Canterlot, kinda? They don’t have that, so there’s gotta be something else.” She didn’t bother to resist the infectious yawn that bounced between the three. She rested her head on the table and smiled over at Fluttershy. Fluttershy smiled back and reached out to touch her side, right above her wing, gently rubbing little circles in Dash’s pleasantly numb muscles. “There’s probably something we can’t see,” Fluttershy suggested. She looked up at the lamp that lit the room, brow furrowed in thought. “We call it harmony, don’t we?” Dash raised a brow at Rarity’s words. Fluttershy made a questioning noise. “Twilight might have more to say on the matter,” said Rarity, staring past the pegasi, at nothing at all, “but while we’re certainly all different, and we all have our own special talents that make us unique, Equestria wouldn’t be Equestria if we didn’t all come together. If pegasi only kept to Cloudsdale, and if earth ponies didn’t tend to the land, it wouldn’t work at all, would it?” “I think Applejack once said that all the best things in life comes from using your own talents to help others and make something wonderful together,” Fluttershy said, smiling and nodding. “It’s about coming together.” “Okay. We call it that. That’s Equestria, but they’re not three different kinds of peryton.” Rainbow Dash ground the bottom of her muzzle against the rough grain of the table. She was about ready to drop the topic, but now Rarity had her thinking. “They’re just peryton. All of them. And they don’t meet at all! How do they stay friends, and how does this head consul princess person lead them if they barely know each other? Princess Celestia travels all around Equestria to meet all the ponies she can, and now that Princess Luna is helping out, they’re both all over the place doing all sorts of stuff!” “Mm, I don’t disagree with that sentiment,” said Rarity. “As I understand it, any Griffin Kingdom diplomat who wishes to discuss treaties will talk to the Princesses for that exact reason. They speak for all of us. Their head consul must not take their job very seriously if they’re not as well known as our Princesses.” “They used a really strange word about some of the trading here, too,” said Fluttershy, frowning deeply. “They used the word tribute. Maybe that means something different here, but it sounds very mean.” “That might be a local term for trade,” Rarity said in a voice suggesting agreement. “Clearly the trading has some central authority somewhere. Really, we might be over-complicating all this. Most of the peryton seem very relaxed in a way I know I never would be if I did not know who held the reins. They must have a great deal of faith in their princess even with a less visible leader.” “Or maybe,” said Rainbow Dash with a lazy, toothy grin and half-lidded eyes. “Maybe their princess is the most cruel peryton ever, and the only reason they stick together is because they’re afraid—” she paused for effect, staring at Fluttershy who drew back with eyes wide. “Now you’re just being fanciful,” said Rarity with a roll of her eyes. “—afraid,” Rainbow Dash continued, shuffling a little closer to Fluttershy, her grin widening. “That their princess will order their most trusted guard to sneak up on them when they’re not looking—” “Um, Rainbow Dash—” said Fluttershy, leaning away from her as much as she could without getting up. Rainbow Dash leaned over her, teeth bared. “—and gobble them up!” Dash finished, darting in to steal the jelly treat on the table next to Fluttershy. Fluttershy squeaked and fell over, and Rainbow Dash fell over next to her, overbalanced and laughing. “That’s not very nice,” Fluttershy chided, clambering up on all fours. She tried to scowl at Rainbow Dash—she even succeeded for a few seconds, but Dash just kept smiling at her until the pegasus’s frown melted away. From where she lay, she was treated to a very nice view of Fluttershy’s sides from below. She took her sweet time in getting up. “Very funny,” said Rarity, though she didn’t look entirely un-amused either. “If you two lovebirds are quite done—” she added, making Dash grin all the harder. Rainbow Dash leaned in to rub her cheek against Fluttershy’s neck on a whim. She could do that now, right? Fluttershy splayed her ears and her blush intensified. Doing silly stuff to freak out Fluttershy was going to be fun. “—perhaps you’ll help me make the bed,” continued Rarity. “Well. Find a bed, then make it. And in case you wonder, your little bird is up on the balcony. She flew up there the moment you left and hasn’t returned since.” “Oh. I hope she’s okay,” said Fluttershy, rubbing at her cheek with a hoof. “She sang a rather long, and very loud song a while ago, so I should think so,” said Rarity. “I had to explain to the peryton that I did not, in fact, need help chasing a wild animal out of this establishment.” “Okay, finding beds,” said Rainbow Dash, getting up and stretching her legs out. She poked her head behind the screen that shielded a small section of the room from the rest. “Nope. There’s still just mushrooms here. I got nothing,” she declared. “I was thinking maybe somepony with wings could give the second floor a look. I’ve noticed the lack of beds down here already, dear,” said Rarity. Fluttershy took to the air and swooped up in short order. Dash heard hoofsteps against wood, a few peeps from Scarlett, and the sounds of Fluttershy moving to the far side of the gallery and back again before her head poked down from the floor above. “There are… um, I don’t think they’re beds, but there are two soft benches or sofas of some sort up here next to a table. I think it’s some sort of living room, but that’s all there is. I guess there’s no bedroom?” “That’s what Phoreni said, isn’t it?” said Dash. “They sleep up top. Except for the foals, I guess. Are the benches any better than the floor down here?” “Oh yes,” said Fluttershy, gliding down to the lower floor, landing gently next to her friends. “They’re cushioned, and if it gets warm, we can open a window up there.” “Yes, well, unless the air gets very stale in here, I think I’ll vote against that. As much as it’s warmer than outside, it’s hardly cozy in here,” said Rarity. “Rainbow Dash, would you be a dear and take me up there?” “Yeah, about that,” said Dash, sighing and glancing at her own back. Rainbow Dash slid off Fluttershy’s back and muttered a thanks. While it was barely a hop up to the balcony, and holding on around her neck was a mixture of awkward and nice, fighting the urge to spread her own wings all the while was decidedly less pleasant. Whatever. They were all up here, now. The balcony held two large cushioned benches that Fluttershy was in the process of arranging into a makeshift bed while Scarlett hopped about and sang. Beyond that, they had a large low table, two windows, some plants, and shelves with sculptures, pottery, some dried pieces of wood— “I don’t understand how you could be so irresponsible, hurting your wings like that!” said Rarity, rounding on her. —and one irate unicorn. “We’d still be stuck in the mud if I hadn’t taken the cart,” said Dash. “Besides, it wasn’t just flying the cart about.” “No, I understand it’s doing a lot of other silly things, and flying an overloaded cart with a passenger through a storm, before wearing yourself out fighting a hydra. How is that helping your case?” asked Rarity, glaring. The two benches joined with a wooden clack, and Fluttershy, satisfied with her work, started moving one of the fabric rolls Rarity had declared ‘unredeemable’ over to it, fitting it as one would a bedsheet. “Well,” she said. “There’s a reason that the Guard fly their chariots in teams of two, and they probably train for that. And their chariots are aerodynamic. Maybe in the future—” “You’re on her side?” asked Dash, rolling her eyes. “I’m just saying I hope you’ll be more careful,” said Fluttershy, frowning. Scarlett let out a loud chirp. “I’m sorry.” “There are no sides,” said Rarity with an exasperated groan, raising her voice. “I’m of course very grateful for all you’ve done, but it’s terribly hypocritical of you two to suggest I should relax and not wear myself out, and then you go and do these ridiculous things—” “I told you!” said Dash, matching her tone and cutting her off. “We had to! If you want to—” “And that’s fine!” said Fluttershy, shutting them both up. Fluttershy stood between them, her wings flared as she looked at them each in turn. “Rarity said she’s glad you helped us get out of the rain. She’s very grateful. We’re grateful,” Fluttershy said, slumping with a sigh. “But you have to take care of yourself, too. We all have to. It’s done now, we don’t have to talk about it if we can all promise to stop… I don’t know, to stop doing reckless things, and try to take care of not just ourselves, but each other. And I really think we’re doing that already, so can we stop fighting? Please?” Rainbow Dash slouched and hung her head, staring at the floor for a second. She flicked her tail and tried to muster a response, but she knew Fluttershy was right. She heard Rarity exhale noisily. “You’re right,” said Rarity. “There’s no real issue. I just don’t want you to hurt yourself on our account. On my account. It makes me feel awful, darling.” Rainbow Dash felt a hoof on her withers, and she pushed it away gently. “Come on, knock it off,” said Dash with a grunt. “I’m not hurt, I just need to rest my wings for a bit. I’ll be fine.” Of course, not being able to fly did hurt, but she didn’t really feel like tossing fuel on the fire. She felt a foreleg hook over her neck, and this time she did not protest, pulled into a hug with Fluttershy and Rarity both. She hugged back, glad when she felt Fluttershy’s wings drape around them, and annoyed that she couldn’t return the gesture. “We’ll have plenty of time to rest up anyway,” said Fluttershy, giving her friends a squeeze. Rainbow Dash nodded at that, but when they let go of each other and Rarity moved over to make the bed according to her own exacting standards, Dash’s thoughts hitched on those words. “It could be as much as what, a week,” said Dash. “This storm week thingy starts tomorrow or the day after, right? ‘Seven suns’ is one of our weeks, anyway.” Rarity hummed. “I think that’s right. It will be nice to rest for a while, really. We have acted as though we are in this awful rush. Perhaps what we needed was a forced break.” “Yeah, sure,” said Dash, waving a hoof. “What I mean is, we’ve been away for how long now?” “Three weeks,” said Fluttershy. Rarity unfolded their blanket and stood still for a second, rubbing at her eyes. Rainbow Dash hopped over the table and pushed one of the windows’ shutters open. Despite what Rarity had said about the cold, she really needed some air right now. Score one for windows with actual handles. “That’s longer than I thought,” said Rarity, finally. “I didn’t think about it before now, either,” Fluttershy said, moving to stand next to Rainbow Dash. The little red bird hopped off her head and sat down on the windowsill, rustling her feathers. What could Dash say? Not much. If it had been three weeks, it had been three weeks. She hoped Flitter was checking up on Tank like she said she would, and she wondered what the rest of her friends were doing. Was Pinkie Pie cheering up some strange new creatures? Had Twilight run out of paper for all her notes yet? Was Applejack worried sick about her farm? And when would they all be back together so Dash could tell them that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were girlfriends? That, at least, got a smile out of her. Outside, peryton moved to and fro carrying their strange lanterns, and now in the darkest of night, the glowing plant-life about the Grove seemed brighter and stranger than ever. There was a burst of peryton laughter somewhere far away, bird-like trills and caws that echoed among the trees. Rainbow Dash didn’t remember everything. She remembered one thing; there had been no Princess Luna fighting at her side that night. It wasn’t that she’d come to expect it, but she did make a habit of checking to make sure she remembered stuff right. Had she been fighting a hydra that night? Ten hydras? She had no idea, but now she realised she remembered two things. She knew she’d won. A series of knocks rang from a door somewhere below. Three things, then. She also remembered she’d woken to someone knocking on the door—someone else’s door. It took her an embarrassingly long and confusing moment to realise where she was. How tired had she been last night when she finally fell asleep? How tired was Fluttershy, usually a light sleeper, to not be woken up by something that had roused Dash? Scarlett sat in the windowsill, for once making no noise. Another knock on the door. Right. The door wasn’t going anywhere. Rainbow Dash wriggled out from under the blanket, wincing when Fluttershy’s breath hitched, but the other pegasus kept on sleeping, drooling on the sheets. Dash couldn’t keep from grinning. The other pegasus was a complete mess in her sleep, her mane wrapped around her face. One of Dash’s legs hurt. Had Fluttershy slept on it? Would she freak out if Dash told her? Knock. Knock. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” hissed Rainbow Dash. She trotted up to the edge of the balcony-floor. Glide down and risk her wings taking longer to recover? No, chance the jump. It was at least five times her height, but she didn’t let that stop her. Dash hopped over the rim and landed on the floor with a loud clop, grimacing at the sound and the impact both. Less than a second later she bit down on the doorknob and tossed the door open, coming face to face with a peryton. “It is late. Or, perhaps for you, it is early,” said the green-and-blue painted doe. “Yeah. Morning,” said Dash. She recognised Phoreni’s voice, even if she couldn’t pick her out of a crowd. Dash squinted and looked up. The sun streamed in, painfully sharp between bright green and blue-toned leaves, and the Glade around them was busy with noise. “We had a late night,” she added, lamely. “The High Warden will see you. If you will come, it would be good if you would hurry,” said Phoreni. She stepped inside, past Rainbow Dash, who rubbed at her eyes and yawned. “Fluttershy and Rarity are still asleep, I’ll go—oh horseapples.” Dash groaned. “I can’t get back up. Ugh, okay, I guess it’s time to wake up, then. How much of a hurry are we in, anyway?” “I asked if she would see you—” “Hey guys! Wake up!” Dash yelled in the general direction of the floor above. “—and she commanded me to find you and send you to her as soon as possible,” Phoreni finished, unfazed. “Sunrise is time for the first council of a day, and a good time to make introductions. You have not eaten, then, unless your kind eats in its sleep.” “Nope,” said Dash. “Rainbow Dash, what in Celestia’s name is going on?” came Rarity’s voice from above. “We gotta move! Mayor-person’s ready to see us!” Dash called back. “Hey, so, maybe we can get some breakfast after we talk to her?” she asked, turning to Phoreni. “Eating places are mostly root-level, and she is above in one of the exalted places, but there are a few dining-houses, yes. We can use the warden cantina.” “Breakfast on the way, girls, come on, chop chop!” Dash yelled, grinning wide. She could go for another nap or three, sure—but if she couldn’t sleep, then they might as well move and move fast. Fluttershy came gliding down from above, a half-conscious Rarity clinging to her and a red bird in her mane. When the unicorn slid off her back, Rainbow Dash noted that her mane had tangled itself around her horn in what was probably the most unique mane style she had ever seen. “Ten minutes,” said Rarity, her voice dire. She tried to untangle her mane with a hoof, then with her magic. “Make that fifteen. I—we need fifteen minutes, and we shall be ready to go. I am never going to bed with a wet mane again. Fluttershy, where are my brushes!?” Rainbow Dash chuckled and locked eyes with Fluttershy, who shot her a smile back and helped Rarity look for her grooming kit. “We’ll be ready to go in ten minutes,” said Rainbow Dash. “You have one who is flightless among your number,” said Phoreni, casting Rarity a quick glance as though she’d expected the unicorn to sprout wings overnight. “Fortunately, this is not a problem.” “There’s a way to get up among the branches without flying?” asked Fluttershy. Phoreni nodded and led them around the tree, heading straight down the slope towards the center of the Grove. “An easier way to our homes? Not as such, but to the Fortress, to the Sunwise Run, and to the exalted places. There must be a way for the young ones who cannot yet soar.” Once they were cleaned up, clad in saddlebags, and moved outside, it was difficult not to look up all the time. The glowing plants were nearly invisible now; all was sunlight and shadow from the trees. Curiously enough, there weren’t a lot of peryton down on the ground now outside of peryton children in small flocks, but Dash could see a lot of shapes darting around above. “You could just fly them all up on your backs, right?” Rainbow Dash asked. She tensed her wings a tad to test them, but if anything, they were worse than the day before. Little lightning bolts of pain lanced along the full length of her wings whenever she so much as thought about spreading them. “We could be so reckless,” said Phoreni, her voice effecting the shrug that her body did not. “Flying items and children up and down is best done as little as possible, but mostly, in case should any monstrous beast breach the Grove, we must bring all the young and the infirm up high, and swiftly.” “Has that ever happened?” asked Rarity, gasping. “That’s a dreadful thing to have to think about!” “Yeah, it’s not like we get something crawling in from the Everfree every other week,” said Rainbow Dash, rolling her eyes. “Remember the stomposaurus invasion right before we left?” Fluttershy nodded quickly. “It did ruin Roseluck’s garden. Again. But we’re lucky nopony else got hurt.” “We always have the town hall if ponies need someplace to hide,” said Rarity. “It’s not all that different.” “To answer,” said Phoreni, her voice a little sharp. Perhaps she was annoyed at the interruption. Perhaps Dash imagined it. “It has not happened yet, but is that an excuse? We do not believe it is. Always must we be ready. The Bow is unpredictable, but I am not the one to explain this. The High Warden holds that responsibility.” “What’s she like?” asked Rainbow Dash. “What is she like?” echoed Phoreni. She peered over her shoulder to give Rainbow Dash a blank look. “You would not like the answers I could give you, you would think them vague, and it would frustrate you, so there is no point. She is kin, and you will meet her. I will vouch for her as good kin.” Rainbow Dash decided not to press the point. She was probably right. Arguing with Phoreni wasn’t much fun anyway, and clearly the peryton wasn’t interested in elaborating. Phoreni stared at Fluttershy now, or rather, at the red ball of fluff bouncing around on the top of her head. She’d been unusually energetic this morning, Dash thought. “I feel I must ask about this bird,” said Phoreni. “Not many birds come to the Grove, because the trees do not suit them, but this one—is it a pet of some sort?” Fluttershy tilted her head, and Scarlett adjusted, holding on to one of her ears with a tiny claw. “Who?” she asked. “Scarlett? Oh no. She’s a friend. We met on the road, and she wanted to come exploring with us, that’s all.” “A friend,” Phoreni said, the word as flat as anything could be. Dash grinned privately and shrugged. Most ponies just accepted these things, but she’d seen her fair share of those who didn’t understand or believe Fluttershy’s rapport with animals right away. The peryton didn’t look bothered, though. “Mhm,” Fluttershy said, nodding and smiling. “Do you keep pets or animals here? I haven’t seen any.” “We do. Falconeers do their work mostly on the western middle circle,” she said, pointing ahead. “And there are always the ravens—but for our safety and so as to not betray our location, they come to the sentry post, not to the Grove proper.” Scarlett peeped, chirped, and hopped about, and Fluttershy sucked in breath through clenched teeth. “Oh. Oh dear,” she said. “Um, we’re not headed to this western middle circle with all its falcons, are we?” Phoreni shook her head. “We are headed to the centre, not the western middle circle.” Dash squinted at the little bird who let out another set of frantic peeps. “Oh. Okay, that’s fine. We’ll see you later,” said Fluttershy, going cross-eyed as she looked up at Scarlett, who peered right back down at her and rustled her wings. Scarlett took flight, darting away to disappear among the trees in the exact opposite direction of the group, going east. “She said she’ll catch us some other time. She… suddenly decided she’s very busy elsewhere,” Fluttershy said, wincing. “She doesn’t get along with falcons.” Phoreni stared at her. “She has told you this?” Fluttershy tilted her head. “Of course. How else would I know?” Rainbow Dash chuckled. For once, it was Phoreni who apparently decided not to press the issue. Before long, the ground got notably rockier. They were getting closer to the centre of the crater, and idly Dash wondered if trees were supposed to be able to grow here—though they undeniably did. “What kinds of trees are these?” asked Rainbow Dash. Applejack would probably have something to say about the dirt—or was that ‘soil’? It looked dusty and dry, and she kicked up a small cloud of dust when she scuffed the ground. Huge gray boulders were strewn about, almost all of them carved with symbols. She recognised Helesseia and a set of four wings that might be Selyria, but the rest made no sense to her. Many of them had large blocks of peryton script instead of symbols. There were no peryton here, and no houses carved into these largest and oldest of trees. Rarity had mentioned the Ponyville Town Hall, and it was all Rainbow Dash could think of that some of the tree trunks would fit the entire building without trouble. “What?” asked Dash, suddenly aware that Fluttershy looked at her. “I said I think it’s some kind of Ironwood, maybe,” said Fluttershy. “I’ve never seen trees this large before.” “Oh. Yeah, okay, thanks,” said Dash. “And I suspect that is the largest of them all,” said Rarity, a little hoarse. Dash craned her neck to follow the tree that shot up from the very center of the Grove. Stone lay scattered about, like the giant tree had exploded out of the ground and caused the very crater, and the canopy seemed so far above that Dash expected to see clouds mingling with the leaves. Phoreni looked about for a moment and made for one of the roots that burrowed into the ground like a crash-landed dragon. “How did you grow these trees?” asked Fluttershy, her voice full of wonder. “Is it magic?” “We did not grow it. We gratefully roost in a gift given to us by Helesseia, some of the stories say,” said Phoreni, looking around as though she saw the tree and its sprawling, massive branches for the first time, too. This time, Rainbow Dash caught a toothy smile on the peryton’s face. “This way,” said Phoreni, shaking her head. She pointed to an arc leading into one of the tree’s roots. She led the way, but paused just inside, blocking the dark tunnel that curved up, then down before disappearing into blackness. “Is there a problem?” asked Rarity. “A problem? Perhaps not, but I did not have the mind to bring a lantern. Would you—” Rarity closed her eyes even as Phoreni spoke, her horn lighting up. Rarity smiled at the peryton. “Say no more, dear. Shall I lead us on?” “That would be useful,” said Phoreni, stepping aside. Now it was Rarity’s turn to pause at the entrance to the tunnel. “I suppose this place is going to be full of spiders, isn’t it,” said Rarity, and it wasn’t much of a question. “They are harmless unless you attempt to eat them in great numbers.” “Wonderful, yes,” said Rarity, her face scrunched up in disgust. “That’s good to know.” The shadows played around them as they walked, Rarity’s light constrained by the narrow tunnel that barely left enough space for Phoreni and Rainbow Dash to comfortably walk abreast behind Rarity and Fluttershy—the latter called to the front to aid Rarity with a critical task. “Ah! There’s another one!” said Rarity. “Right there!” “Excuse me,” said Fluttershy. “Could you maybe climb up a tiny bit so we can get past? Yes, I know you’re out of reach. It’s just… my friend—it’s okay? Thank you.” Rainbow Dash tapped her hoof on the wooden floor and waited. A moment later, Rarity moved on, satisfied that the spidery threat had been avoided by a comfortable margin. “Your rituals strike me as curious,” was all Phoreni said. “What’s curious is that no one has taken a broom to this place,” Rarity retorted. “Children use these tunnels?” “Only rarely,” said Phoreni. “We may take young ones up to help cure them of their fear of heights if they are born unlucky—and once, after their birth, to introduce them to the High Warden and the Flightmaster.” “Flightmaster,” said Rainbow Dash. “Okay, that’s a cool title. What do they do?” “Ensure that everyone can fly, whose bodies will let them,” said Phoreni. “So they’re the best flier in the entire town?” Dash asked. Phoreni gave Rainbow Dash a long look. “The best flier? That is not obvious. They are our best teacher of flight, and the most passionate soul for teaching others these gifts. It exalts one to excel. It exalts one to cause others to excel, too.” “Yeah yeah,” said Dash, puffing out her cheeks at the lecture and moving on. At least, it sounded like a lecture, but who could tell what went on in the peryton’s mind. Besides, she had a feeling there was something clever in those words, she just couldn’t be bothered trying to squeeze it out before breakfast. For a while, they walked, and neither pony nor peryton spoke. The tunnel’s curve became more pronounced, and it sloped heavily, going around and around. The walls remained wooden and unadorned, usually the exact same shade of light brown. Once, Rainbow Dash scuffed her shoulder on one of the walls. It was hard to keep focus and not go blind. Everything was utterly unchanging, and it really started to get to her. Finally she spotted natural light ahead. Rainbow Dash squinted and shielded her eyes with a foreleg as they exited the tunnel. The peryton didn’t sleep in. They were all up here. If the forest floor today was Ponyville’s streets on a lazy Sunday morning, they exited unto the train station in the Hearth’s Warming rush. What had looked from below like natural branches embellished with woodcraft was a seamless, perfect platform. The tunnel had spat them out in the middle of a broad, flat area that ran in a circle around the central tree like a donut. Dozens upon dozens of peryton moved around them, and while the Ephydoerans were quiet by Dash’s standards, gatherings of people unafraid of using their voices made for a constant din. Some clustered by the edges and many more grouped up by a huge, doorless entrance to the inside of the tree they’d just left. “This tree is Helesseia’s Promise, and the floor the Warden’s Fortress,” explained Phoreni to the small gathering of ponies. “Around the corner and inside, the High Warden’s Lodge, and the High Warden. There are four levels below, and three above. This is the home of all those who ward. Of all who take the paint.” Knowing that, Rainbow Dash didn’t see many unpainted peryton around them, and none who loitered. Everyone who moved about did so with purpose, and everyone who talked looked serious. Just as Phoreni had said, another platform made a ceiling above them, and she imagined she could hear the distinctive sound of peryton walking about on branch-and-plank floors above and below. Though Helesseia’s Promise was certainly the largest of the massive trees, it wasn’t unique. In the distance, Dash could see rings, semicircles and platforms of other shapes and sizes, all of them busy to varying degrees. Any tree that wasn’t studded with peryton houses of some kind had common areas, and she couldn’t even begin to understand what was going on in half of them. From every platform glowed white lanterns nearly lost in the daylight, but also long strings of dormant, smaller multi-coloured lanterns, as though the treetops were dressed up for a party. Were peryton diving from one of the furthest platforms? “If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll stay as close to the center as possible,” said Rarity, staring at the edge of the platform. “I realise you all have wings, but would it hurt to include some railings?” “Heh, don’t worry, I’ll—uh, well, actually, Fluttershy’ll catch you. No problem!” Dash grinned. “While I have no doubt she will, I’ll be happy to not fall in the first place, thank you,” Rarity retorted with a tight smile. Rainbow Dash grinned at Fluttershy, though she wasn’t really sure it had been a joke. The more she thought about it, she became sure it wasn’t, but it didn’t really matter; Fluttershy didn’t appear to have heard them. She was still looking all around, her wings tight to her sides. When Phoreni moved, Fluttershy waited for Rainbow Dash and Rarity to flank her before she began moving herself. “Um, I know you said it’s silly to ask what the High Warden is like,” said Fluttershy. “But what can we expect?” It didn’t look like Phoreni had heard Fluttershy above all the noise. Rainbow Dash was about to repeat the question for Fluttershy when Phoreni halted by the portal that led into the tree. “She will likely invite you to join in the Brush Games. You should accept if you wish to earn her respect.” Phoreni gave them a searching look. “It is your decision. Not all wish to have their mettle thus tested.” “Games? Are you kidding? I’m in!” said Dash, bouncing on the spot. She hooked a leg around Fluttershy and Rarity each. “Bring it!” “‘Brush Games’? I don’t exactly suppose it’s going to be chess or chutes and ladders, is it,” said Rarity, slipping out from Dash’s grip. “I hope it’s chutes and ladders,” said Fluttershy, ducking her head and laying her ears flat. Phoreni raised a brow half a smidgemeter and nodded her head towards the opening. “Come,” she said. “We are expected in the lodge.” The central chamber of the Warden’s whatever—this tree had entirely too many names—was in fact its only chamber. A roughly circular room had been carved out of the tree’s trunk, large, but hardly covering its entire length and width. Simple wooden benches, desks and tables littered the room, and here was an abundance of something Rainbow Dash only now noticed she’d seen little of in perytonia so far: paper. Peryton chatted over maps and notes, groups were locked in animated discussions—for Ephydoeran peryton anyway—and in the back, a particularly large group circled a large-scale model carved directly out of the tree’s trunk. The model made more sense than any map Rainbow Dash had ever seen; the painted trees and mountains looked like a huge game board of some kind. “High Warden!” called Phoreni. “The travellers! Will you see them outside? The map—” “—is no secret, I will see them here,” finished a peryton from the largest group. She looked like any other Ephydoeran around, an average-sized doe in camouflage paint with a myriad of marks shaved in her side. “Come!” she called, stepping away from the model. They drew a complete lack of attention. Rainbow Dash was a little disappointed. They were visitors from afar, ponies that these people had never seen before, and they were paraded in front of the town’s guard—or whatever they were supposed to think them as—to barely a glance. The other peryton looked up, registered the ponies, and went back to whatever it was they were doing. Pointing to maps and scrolls and talking, mostly. “High Warden,” Phoreni repeated, gesturing to the trio with a hoof. “The Ponies from Equestria that Orto mentioned, here at my sufferance.” “I am the High Warden, and I have been told of your guesting,” she said, “The surprise is not your visit to the lodge, but your presence in Ephydoera. One surprise out of two, then. Less surprise is good.” She looked completely indistinguishable from the rest of them. Even Mayor Mare had her cravat, but the peryton who stood before them could have been Phoreni’s slightly smaller twin. Fluttershy sketched a quick half-bow, and Dash followed suit. Rarity did the same, dipping her head. “I am Rarity, and this is Fluttershy—” she pointed, “and Rainbow Dash. We were sent by the Princesses of Equestria, and we’re on our way to Cotronna. We’re pleased to make your acquaintance, miss…?” Apparently she was Phoreni’s slightly smaller, and also her slightly more expressive twin. The High Warden tilted her head and furrowed her brow, then looked to Phoreni. “Your counsel, Phoreni. Have I been asked a question?” “Ah, I’m dreadfully sorry,” said Rarity. “I was hoping for a name, but we don’t know your customs. If you wish for us to refer to you only by title, then of course—” “I have no name. I am the High Warden,” came the reply with a full-bodied shrug. “I will take my name once again when my vigil is over.” “The High Warden commands all those who take the paint, if they are warders, wardens, or ward in any other capacity,” Phoreni said as though that explained anything at all. “And you said you are surprised to see us?” Rarity asked. “May I ask why?” The High Warden frowned slightly. “Because I recall sending word that you should better visit Orto. I did not meet Red Sun Runner myself, but I expected to hear from Orto before your kind trod into Khosta.” “Is that a problem?” asked Dash. “We visited Orto, in fact,” said Rarity, smiling at her. “Then Stagrum—and now, we are here.” “Is it what I had expected? It is not, but it is not an issue, either. I hope you have not found us unwelcoming, but we have talked enough of this for now. There are more important things before you are made truly welcome. You two,” she said, locking eyes with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy in turn. “You will not leave and return to the Grove again.” “I’m sorry?” asked Fluttershy, drawing back half a step under the High Warden’s stare. “What?” said Dash, her voice cracking in surprise. “What do you mean? Are you kicking us out?” “It’s a misunderstanding, surely!” said Rarity, gaping. “A threat? Exile? A misunderstanding? It is none of these,” said the High Warden. “It is a command. If you are to walk the woods beyond, you will tell Phoreni first. You threaten the safety of the Grove by coming and going so inexpertly.” “You’re talking about last night?” Dash asked, snorting. “Come on, we were just outside the crater, it’s no big deal.” Rainbow Dash got the distinct impression that the High Warden had taken all the expressions that the rest of the Ephydoerans did not use. All the other peryton in this town had put their frowns, their glares and their sneers in a box marked ‘High Warden’—and their stares. The way she looked at Rainbow Dash sent chills down the pegasus’s spine. “Perhaps it is your speech. Perhaps we do not understand each other as well as we could,” said the High Warden. “But you will understand this. When it concerns the safety of the Grove, I do not suggest. I command. If you leave the Grove alone once more, I will see to it that you do not enter it again. Do you understand this?” “We understand,” said a wide-eyed Fluttershy, nodding rapidly. “We’re very, very sorry.” “Got it,” said Rainbow Dash, her ears wilting. This time, they did in fact, get some attention from the surrounding peryton, and she’d rather do without the sympathetic looks they got. “We are understood,” said the High Warden, letting out a deep breath. ”You tell us you make for our kin in Cotronna?” Rainbow Dash flicked her tail and tried to toss the tension away. It was impossible to tell if the High Warden was still angry with them. She wished Pinkie was here to make them smile a little more, but for now, she settled for letting Rarity speak for them. She edged a little closer to Fluttershy. Just in case she wanted her to. “Yes, finding a ship proved problematic, and we were advised to take the rather more scenic route by a friend in Orto,” said Rarity, nodding. “If we intend to go to Cotronna by... Vauhorn, I believe it is—the other city on the northern coast—then we’ll be travelling north through the highlands, but we heard there was some trouble.” “If you say this, then you are well informed,” said the High Warden, nodding gravely. “We heard from the Bent Feathers. Well, we got a letter, actually,” said Fluttershy from behind the cover of her mane. “They said that some wagons had their things stolen, and that you hadn’t found out who’s stealing.” Phoreni made a low, growling sound at the back of her throat. “The Bent Feathers should keep words of our movements, such as they know, out of the claws of those not of Ephydoera.” “Calm, Phoreni,” said the High Warden, fixing her with a look before turning her attention back to the ponies. “These words are not as untrue as we want them to be. Vauhorn now sends tribute through Cotronna by land, or by sea to Stagrum and by land from there. Wagons have been stolen away on the trade road between Ephydoera and Vauhorn, this is correct.” She shook her head slightly. “You should not worry. There are many paths through the highlands. There are many paths north.” “If what Fluttershy told me is correct, our map only shows two. Or rather, one road, which splits as it leaves the forest, one to Vauhorn, one to Cotronna directly,” said Rarity, pursing her lips. “If you don’t mind me saying, there’s hardly an expansive network of roads around here. Have you considered contacting your high consul about improving them?” “Did I say roads? I said paths. The two of which you speak are the trade roads followed by caravans, the great wagons.” The High Warden turned about and made for the great wooden model further into the chamber, prompting the ponies to follow. The carved model centered upon a forest wrapped around a curved mountain range. If Dash had to guess, the forest would be the Khosta, the forest they were in—and they called the mountains “The Bow”? She had no idea how big any of this was meant to be in the real world. Maps. She shrugged. Someone had put a lot of effort into this model, though. The forest wasn’t just a green-painted area. They weren’t even models: Little trees were carved out of the sheer wood, cut into the ‘table’ itself, which was also part of the tree they called the Promise. The High Warden pointed to two indented lines leading out from the edge of the forest. “The two great roads are the furrows you see here. They are one beneath the boughs of the Khosta, but split when they enter the highlands. You have options. You may run the edge of the Splitwood. It is safer than the Khosta, even without warders. You may stay closer to the coast where none dwell. Pierce the Splitwood, keep to the dells, the options are many. You do not have to follow the road.” “If you are suggesting we make some off-road trek, we do have a cart, unfortunately,” said Rarity. “It is a small thing,” Phoreni said. “These are not wild paths. If you know where to look, and if you are told of them, you may find them, and they will easily take you and your cart.” “They will… take our—” Dash squinted. “So you’re saying we can probably follow these weird not-road paths?” Phoreni nodded. “That is what is suggested. Options.” The High Warden nodded absent-mindedly, her eyes on the model for a little longer. Around them crowded other peryton who moved papers to and fro, cross-checking paper maps with the one on the table, all of them carrying items in the nook of their wings or in their mouth. One leaned forward with their muzzle, gently placing a wooden chit on the table under a tiny carved tree. For all that Dash was used to ponies carrying stuff around, she couldn’t get past how strange it was to be surrounded by so many horns—or antlers, in this case—and not see them used at all. Then again, Dash thought with a frown, she was the pegasus who’d taken a tunnel to get up here. “We think too much,” said the High Warden at length. “We have moved along this road you mention many times. We have found nothing, and no signs of battle. We sent a flock of unpainted kin last season without trouble. Dishonest hearts have made off with the tribute, and thieves, weak of mind, will already have scattered.” “Or Vauhorn claims to have sent the tribute, but lie to avoid meeting their promises,” said Phoreni. The High Warden snorted. “Rid your heart of the darkness of that thought, warden.” Phoreni closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling noisily while she nodded. “It does not matter. The High Warden is right. I do not see why anyone would trouble you three.” Rainbow Dash looked over at her friends, and neither of them seemed to have anything to add. She shrugged. Why would anyone want to trouble them in the first place? The two peryton does seemed satisfied with this only now, after discussing it at length like they were in some strategy meeting. “I am in agreement,” said The High Warden. She turned her back to the carved map. “Then, before you leave, Phoreni will help you plan a path, but I consider the road safe enough anyway. I am more concerned with a different threat. A far more grave threat to Ephydoera, and one that involves you three.” “What, more?” Dash asked. Fluttershy shuffled a little closer, and Dash felt her hackles rise. Had they managed to anger these weird peryton in some other way? How easily offended could they be? “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” said Rarity, the unicorn frowned slightly. “The threat is that you should think this is all we do,” the High Warden said. Without waiting to see if they followed, she led the little group outside, circling around to the sunny side of the platform and crossing over to its edge. “There is more to Ephydoera than this here, the heart of our efforts to keep safe. The Brush Games have begun today, as it is the first day of the Seven Suns of the Storm.” Rarity kept a respectful distance from the edge while the High Warden gestured ahead to another large flat area among the trees. This one only had one main level, but it was built and shaped out of the branches that joined three trees together, an immense flat platform crowded by festive lights and throngs of peryton at work. “At the Sunwise Run, we prepare for the Brush Games. Not every day is a battle, but time is best spent as Daros in pursuit of Helesseia’s strength, of Selyria’s long gait and of Glandros’ perfection. At noon, we will begin the search for the one who is champion when the storm hits.” Rainbow Dash could feel herself tense up in the best possible way. She forced her wings to lie still, but could no more stop herself from grinning at the thought of a proper competition than she could fail to read a challenge in the High Warden’s eyes. “Find your morning meal if you have not already. At the sound of the horn, come show us the skill of your home city.”