//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: The Stink Bug // by Some1Else //------------------------------// Shelly and Mr. Shelly ran past all of them, squealing. The line of advancing locust spiders hesitated and took a few steps back. Mr. Shelly slammed into one of them and knocked it into the wall while Shelly picked off two by hitting them with the goo she enjoyed spewing out of her mouth. Their combined ferocity succeeded in pushing the scuffle into the hallway away from their friends.             “Huh,” Applejack said. “They make a great team.”             Twilight spoke into her microphone again. “Iris, I want you to use the crystal to repel our enemies off this ship.” There was no reply. “Iris? Onyx, are you there? Hello?”             Sounds of a struggle in the hallway drifted into the cargo hold as they waited to hear a reply from the bridge.             “They’re probably in trouble,” Fluttershy said.             “It wouldn’t surprise me,” Applejack said. “Geez, one thing after another. It looks like we’ll have to make our way to the bridge.”             Twilight had to step in before Applejack led the charge herself. “Hocus, can you and the other unicorns look after the Salamanders while we’re gone?”             Hocus nodded. “Go on ahead, princess. We can still manage to defend ourselves if we need to.”             One final issue had to be addressed before they left. Twilight approached her target. “Izu, we will talk a lot more later, but for now, whatever happens, stay here and please do not try to use magic.”             “You saved me, didn’t you?” Izu asked.             “Not now, Izu,” Aramak replied. He ran to the opening of the cargo hold and motioned for Twilight to follow. He seemed to have grown a few inches taller now that his son was safe. “Come. I’ll lead.”             Twilight followed Aramak into the hallway with her entourage. She glanced back at Hocus and watched as he sealed off the cargo hold with a magic barrier. Satisfied, Twilight returned to the task at hoof. Scratches and nicks in the wood signaled that fighting had occurred. They were late to the party. Five locust spiders were in the corner, attempting to dig their way out of the airship. Those smart enough to retreat through the broken windows they had come through already had.             Four green tentacles came slithering through a broken window. Twilight felt one of them wrap around her body as she watched Aramak stop and turn back in response to the noise the appendages had made. A zasoi had managed to catch her. All Twilight had to do to get away on her own was teleport herself out of its grip. A pitiful spark shot out of her horn as the spell misfired, sending a colorful assortment of dots into her vision. Twilight felt herself being pulled toward the window. If the zasoi had not gotten its tentacles stuck in the tiny opening, she would have had to focus on being swallowed whole instead of in chunks.             The construction of the ship held against the zasoi as it tried to make the hole larger by breaking it. Either the wood was just that fantastic or part of the ships defense included being strengthened by the crystal. Twilight didn’t have too much time to ponder it as she was slammed into the floor.             “We’ve got to do something!” Fluttershy cried.             “Help me buck it!” Applejack said. “Boys, this show ain’t free! It’s five bits a gander!”             Applejack and Fluttershy bucked the tentacle holding Twilight captive while Biggs and Wedge repeatedly slammed their discs into the two grabbers trying to seize them. A tired groan came from the zasoi. The magic from the Sleep Discs caused the tentacles to fall asleep. Twilight felt the grip the zasoi had on her loosen. She wiggled, desperate to escape on her own.             “I’m going to need one of you to pull me out,” Twilight said.             Aramak set his staff down, got on his knees, and grabbed Twilight by her forelegs. He pulled with all his might. A noise completely unfit for a princess emitted from the gooey tentacle as she popped out of its grip. The tentacles withdrew seconds after Twilight escaped.             Biggs looked out the window. “It’s falling over. We’ve put it to sleep.”             A crash was heard from outside that confirmed what Biggs had said.             Aramak put his mouth in Twilight’s ear. “I told you we shouldn’t have saved it.”             Twilight spit out some of the goo that had gotten in her mouth. “I’m glad we did. Wasn’t that fun?”             That shut him up nicely. Twilight relished in the stupefied look he gave her. Applejack and Fluttershy helped Twilight get up off the floor.             “Lyin’ down on the job again, Twi?” Applejack asked.             “What can I say? It has been a long day,” Twilight replied.             Applejack smirked. “Spike has rubbed off on you.”             Aramak picked up his staff and motioned for Twilight to follow him. “Let’s keep going.”             The warpath the kiburigos had been on ended in the stairwell leading up to the bridge. They had been reduced to stone statues. Healing them would have to wait until later. A spider locust fell down the stairs as Twilight ascended them, spraying spittle each time it hit the floor. Fighting could be heard throughout the ship. Judging by those audibly keeping tally of how many spider locusts they had beaten into submission, Twilight concluded their side was winning.             The unconscious body of a goose based cockatrice was waiting for them on the floor below the bridge. Its tongue hung out of its mouth. Aramak shoved it out of the way with his staff, causing it to gurgle. Twilight figured she knew why Onyx and Iris hadn’t replied to her. She made her way to the front of the group to ensure that she was the first one on the bridge.             The battle had been fierce. Feathers were everywhere. Iris had been the first casualty. Her shocked expression proved she had been turned immediately. Onyx had lasted for a little longer until he had finally been tempted to look. One eye was open to allow for a mere peak. That was all it had taken. The sole surviving goose who had beaten him was perched atop his head like a king on a throne and had two seconds to squawk at Twilight before Wedge’s disc came sailing at it through the air. The disc struck the goose on its bill, knocking it off its perch and rendering it unconscious before it hit the floor.             “Good one,” Applejack said.             “That looks like it was the last of them. The bridge is secure,” Aramak said.             Twilight stood in front of the crystal. “I only need your help for another minute.”             She tapped into the crystal and used it to temporarily ease enough of her pain and fatigue to save the ship. Plenty of power was at her disposal without the Void Rescue hogging all the crystals resources. She easily targeted every foreign body aboard and teleported them a mile from the ship. A few had injuries that she healed before switching tactics and hitting them with a wave of disgust causing all of them to flee further away from the airship.             More work had to be done. She checked outside in the immediate area and found two pegasus statues that were slowly sinking into the mud and teleported them to the infirmary. To save the medical staff some time, she lifted the curse off the two soldiers. Only Shelly and Mr. Shelly remained in significant distress. Once the effects of the cockatrice’s stare had been reversed, Twilight put Shelly’s restraints back in place.             Finished with saving the crew and the ship, she put it on an ascent straight to its maximum altitude so she could finally have a minute to think. Twilight broke her link from the crystal and leaned on it for support, trying to avoid passing out.             Wedge took a quick look around the bridge. “Is that it?”             “That depends,” Applejack said.             “On what?” Aramak asked.             “In an alternate universe, not quite unlike the one we are in now, Twilight doesn’t save Izu, so she has to use that crystal to open up a portal into a universe where she did save Izu so she can steal Izu and bring him back to the one where she didn’t manage to save him.”             Twilight couldn’t say whether she would do something like that or not because she wasn’t in the proposed situation, but it seemed plausible. “Iris, get Izu up here and put a ward on him that negates all incoming magic. Don’t say for how long it is. Do it right this instant.”             Iris gave her a nod and brought Izu up from the cargo hold. He yelped as he burst back into the world. Iris shot a beam at him. Izu grabbed the area of his chest that had been hit, lost his footing, and fell on his rear. A small magic circle formed beneath him. Twilight kept herself from checking the runes so she could avoid figuring out how to get around them.             “How long do we have to wait for this renegade Princess Twilight to appear?” Biggs asked.             “Beats me,” Applejack replied.             “I think it’s safe to relax,” Twilight said.             “Don’t say that too loud,” Fluttershy said.             Twilight sighed. “If renegade me comes and steals Izu, we will just have to go get him.”             “Wouldn’t two of you make it easier to save Izu in a universe where he hasn’t been saved?” Fluttershy asked.             “Probably. Four of me would be ideal.”             “Well, you and that other Twilight could go get more other Twilight’s and then you certainly would stand a chance, right?”             “Yes. Four alicorns would make a huge difference, even if they are just variations of me.”             Applejack scanned the deck, waiting for a portal to appear. “I think we’ve tempted fate enough. If it was goin’ to happen, it probably already would have.”             “And we have a good plan if it does,” Twilight said. “So long as that specific scenario is what occurs.” Certain that diplomacy would not be interrupted by a desperate copy of herself, Twilight prepared to address Izu. She needed a bath or at the very least a splash of perfume, but that would further delay their conversation. “Hello, Izu. I am sorry I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself until now. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle and I have journeyed from Equestria to meet you.”             “That’s quite a trip,” Izu said. “I take it something went wrong when I tried to teleport myself, didn’t it?”             He had put that together rather quickly. Twilight was impressed. The apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree. She gave him a nod.             Izu looked away from her, ashamed. “I’ve caused a lot of trouble for everyone, haven’t I?”             Twilight smiled. “We’re past all that. Right now, we need to focus on the future. You have been given a great gift, but you need to learn how to use it properly. We can teach you.”             “Isn’t our magic different?”             “Not entirely. If it was, we would not have been able to help you.”             “Then I will learn if you will teach me.”             “We will. I have been given permission to send a tutor here to instruct you. We’ll talk more about that later. For now, we will head back to your village.”             Izu got down on one knee and put his right hand against his chest. “Thank you for saving me and the companions I was with.”             His gratitude sweetened her victory. Aramak had raised him to be polite. Twilight noticed something out of the corner of her eye. The kiburigos were standing outside of the bridge. They were a bit apprehensive about joining in on the festivities. She could fix that.             Twilight looked back at Izu, who was still bowing. “You’re welcome. I do not deserve all the credit, though. Every pony on this ship was involved with your rescue, as was your own father and a certain bug.”             Izu looked up at her, searching the expression on her face for a clue eluding to what she was talking about. Twilight motioned for the kiburigos to step forward, turning the spotlight on them for a moment. Ms. Shelly was at Fluttershy’s side in an instant with Mr. Shelly trailing behind her. Mr. Shelly kept his gaze locked on Izu. He couldn’t be blamed for not planning to become food anytime soon. Izu stood up and met Mr. Shelly’s challenging glare with one of his own. Twilight shook her head. Boys would be boys.             Knowing the truth would ease their tension, Twilight continued. “If you had not somehow managed to teleport Shelly to Equestria, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”             “Who?” Izu asked.             “They gave the female kiburigo a name,” Aramak replied. “They do things like that.”             “She alerted us to your mistake,” Twilight said. “She is worthy of your gratitude, especially since she has been responsible for keeping your swamp healthy for much longer than you can imagine. You can reward her and all of us by not devouring the partner she has chosen like you originally intended to do.”             Izu looked at his father.             “What she says is true,” Aramak replied. “If we don’t leave them alone, we will lose the swamp.”             “Then we can live without eating them,” Izu concluded.             “Indeed. The ponies have something with a comparable taste that we can import,” Aramak said. “We’ll be fine.”             The luxurious mattress waiting for Twilight in Celestia’s room was calling out to her. She had to get to it fast. “It has been good to speak with all of you. I need to return to my room for a little while. If any of you have any questions, Applejack or Fluttershy will be happy to answer them in my absence.” Item one was scratched off her list. She turned to her two escorts. “Wedge, you and Biggs are now relieved. Thanks for keeping us from getting our hoofs too dirty. You both performed better than I thought you would and you should be proud of yourselves. Continue serving Equestria. It needs ponies like both of you who can work through their fear.” Item number. . .something. They would sing of the nap she was about to take for years. “Applejack, come along with me.”             Izu turned his attention to Fluttershy. “Tell us more about Shelly.”             “Oh, she’s just the sweetest thing,” Fluttershy began. “You’ll learn to love her in no time.”             Twilight left the bridge with Applejack. She felt like she was floating. Twilight had to remain awake. Applejack didn’t need to drag her across the floor by her tail and throw her into bed.             Applejack waited until they were out of earshot to speak. “Are you finally goin’ to lie down?”             “You bet I am.”             “Good, because you look like you’ve been pulled through a knothole backwards.”             Twilight snickered. “Thanks. I’ll set my alarm for three hours ahead of the current time. Don’t wake me unless it’s an absolute emergency.”             “I take it you’ll want us to stay parked above the village while you’re out?” Applejack asked.             “Definitely. There’s quite a bit left to discuss now that we’re allied with another race. We’ve got at least another full day here before we leave.”             “Sure. Should I make sure Izu doesn’t mess around with magic until his tutor gets here?”             “With intuition like that, you could be a princess, Applejack.”             Applejack laughed. “No thanks. I don’t even know what I would do with wings. I like the ground too much.”             “I bet you’re already a princess. In an alternate universe. Not quite unlike the one we are in now.”             “You’ve got me there, I guess.”             Twilight opened the doors to the hall outside of the royal rooms and stepped back into luxury. It had escaped damage during their minor scuffle. The temperature was a bit too high for her liking, but that would get fixed once Onyx had a schedule back in order.             “I’m going to check and make sure you don’t have any stowaways, so don’t mind me, alright?” Applejack said.             “That’s fine. Just don’t take the alarm clock on your way out. I don’t need to sleep for half a week. I’ll be alright with three hours, a bath, and some coffee.”             Applejack checked under the bed. “I won’t take the clock, Twilight.”             Twilight took the clock from the bed stand and wound it manually. “Make sure that nobody else does as well, alright?”             Applejack called out from the closet. “I will. Take a load off. You’ve earned it.”             “That shouldn’t be too hard.”             Twilight crawled into the bed. She would have to have the sheets washed later. A powerful sensation of relief overcame her. With a small groan, she wiggled over to the left side of the large bed and got comfortable. Finally. Sleep was the reward for a hard day of work. A temporary retreat from the hectic world. She spent a minute trying to figure out another way Applejack might trick her into sleeping longer than she had set the alarm for before submitting to her fatigue.             The king of headaches was ready to knight her before she even opened her eyes. Twilight had managed to sleep with her mouth open after rolling over on her back, inviting cavities to ruin her perfect smile. One of her wings had found its way through the sheets and was hanging over the side of the bed. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed a pitcher of tea had been brought to her and placed on her bedside table next to the alarm. The ice in the container shifted upon being spotted. It could not have been there for too long. Three different potions had also been placed on the table. A white sheet of paper had been folded in half and placed in front of the potions like a name plate. ‘Drink us’ was written in eloquent cursive on the note.             Twilight conjured telekinesis despite her headache and seized her clock with her aura. The veins near her horn pulsed twice and her ears popped. There was a brief flash of intense pain in the middle of her skull that dropped off to a manageable level within seconds. Twilight flipped the alarm clock around. She had forgotten to switch the alarm on before falling asleep. Applejack had probably danced out of the room laughing. Twilight slammed the face of the alarm down on the table next to her, causing it to ding audibly in distress.             She followed two glasses of green tea fused with white tea with the potions that were waiting to be consumed. Twilight trotted over to the mirror in her closet and recoiled at the mess that was waiting for her. She pulled her bangs back and checked the area around her horn. A fresh wound winked back at her, but it would heal. She would have to keep it hidden. Not wanting to waste another minute, Twilight sat down on her haunches and cast an upkeep spell that would save her the hour it would take to wash up. A shower would have to wait. She watched herself transform in front of the mirror, paying attention to how well her mane looked. Satisfied with the results, she raided Celestia’s stash of cosmetics and hit herself with a splash of cherry blossom fragrance before heading out the door into the hallway.             Biggs and Wedge had been stationed outside of her room.             “Good evening, princess,” Wedge said. “Did you have a nice nap?”             “Sort of. How long was I out?”             “You’ve been asleep for a day and a half,” Biggs said. “It is now half past six in the evening.”             She was lucky that she hadn’t been out longer.             “Nothing serious went down while you were sleeping,” Wedge said. “Shelly and her good friend are living in the village under the protection of the Salamanders. Applejack and Fluttershy have already made it clear that they can’t kick Shelly out once Izu gets good with magic. So far, Shelly has kept a lot at bay. Anything with a nose, that is. Those stupid spider things came back, but they were nothing with all of us working together.”             “Your language spell wore off shortly after you went to sleep,” Biggs said. “We’ve been communicating with gestures and grunts ever since.”             “Has anybody been learning new words?”             “They didn’t have a word for airship, but they do now,” Wedge replied. “They’ve got to work on their pronunciation. When they say it, it sounds kind of like something else.”             Twilight’s stomach growled. The two stallions pretended not to hear it. Eating alone would not be much fun.             “Are Applejack and Fluttershy still onboard our ship?”             “Fluttershy is hanging out in the village down below,” Biggs replied. “She’s still watching over the kiburigos and trying to figure out a way to tame a zasoi.”             Given her prior encounters with the zasoi, it seemed unlikely that the monster could ever be domesticated. She couldn’t imagine finding one with an even temper. “If Fluttershy can’t do it, none of us can.”             “Applejack is probably on the bridge again,” Biggs said. “If she isn’t you could always have her report to it.”             “What about Aramak? Is he still on board?”             “He’s down below,” Wedge replied. “That reminds me, one of the last things he said before your spell wore off was that he wants you to talk to him the moment you’re up. Even if it’s super late, he is still willing to chat.”             “How are the soldiers who were bit by those spiders or turned into stone?”             “They are all fine,” Biggs replied. “It’s a blessing. Onyx says that you’re good luck. I’m inclined to believe him.”             Twilight stood in place for a moment, calculating time. She predicted that her meeting with Aramak would take at least four hours to complete. If he didn’t have a problem with that, then neither did she. Eating would come first, though. Then a quick bath.             “Will you two have my bed washed?” Twilight asked. “After that, you’re free to do whatever.”             “Sure,” Wedge replied.             “You guys really didn’t have to wait outside of my door until I was up. Did either of you bring a book to read while you were standing out here?”             “We weren’t here the whole time,” Biggs replied. “You somehow managed to get up during the right shift.”             “Uncanny, isn’t it?” Twilight asked.             Biggs nodded. “The odds are quite something.”             “Alright. Don’t have too much fun.”             Twilight stepped out into the real world. A ship full of soldiers with nothing to do meant that the hallway had been cleaned and polished. It was difficult to tell that a fight had occurred in it, but Twilight spotted a few chips in the wood that added character to the structure.             Applejack was already on the bridge when Twilight arrived. She had cleaned up while Twilight had been asleep. Judging by the laughter, she had been at the end of a joke with Onyx, Iris, and Hocus. All of them brightened up as Twilight arrived, causing her to blush.             “Good mornin’!” Applejack said with a wink. “Did Luna send you a dream?”             “Nah, we’re out of her range. I had that stupid one again where my magical certifications have been revoked and I’m back in magic kindergarten because there was a new semester I had to take to get my credentials back. Also, I was a human and I couldn’t change back until I graduated again. Have you eaten yet?”             “Not really. Before you get to that, Aramak said that he had somethin’ very important to ask you the second you got up.”             That caught her off guard. “I suppose I shouldn’t keep him waiting.”             “We can head down to the cafeteria once he’s finished sayin’ whatever it is he has to say. We’ll pick up Fluttershy on the way back, too.”             Hocus stepped forward. “Allow me to send you down, Princess.”             “No, you don’t have to. My extended nap was great. I can use basic magic on my own.”             “He insists,” Applejack said.             “Oh. Well, if you really want to do it, then I guess I’ll let you. Go ahead whenever you are ready.”             She was sent down to the swamp the moment she had finished speaking. Twilight found herself dropped into a predetermined spot in the gathering area outside of Aramak’s house with Applejack at her side and clean boots on her legs. She spotted several fireworks all around her that soared into the air mere seconds after her arrival. Sparks of various colors decorated the sky. One somehow managed to display her Cutie Mark for a few precious seconds before dissipating.             Only one pony could have planned her entrance like this.             Pinkie Pie came sliding in on her knees out of nowhere with her front legs held up high in joy. “Congratulations, Twilight!” After coming to a stop, she stood upright on her hindlegs and stretched her forelegs out as far as they could go. “Ponies and Salamanders are officially best friends forever!”             It was a bit early to declare that, but they were on the right track, so Twilight didn’t bother correcting her. Having known Pinkie for as long as she had, Twilight was only slightly surprised. She should have seen it coming.             “Alright, how did you get here?” Twilight asked.             “Remember when I jumped off the ship?” Pinkie Pie asked. “I was only pretending to parachute my way back down to Ponyville. One of the unicorns teleported me back into the ship as I was falling and I hid inside one of the crates. You actually bumped into me while you were saving Izu.”             “But Pinkie, what if I had failed?”             Pinkie chuckled. “You’re funny!”             Twilight face hoofed. “I guess that’s about the best answer I can possibly get.”             “We shoulda checked the manifest,” Applejack said.             “What, do you think I put myself down as party supplies or a box of joy?” Pinkie asked. “Only an amateur would do that. I’m not even on the manifest.”             “Then how were you loaded onto the ship?” Applejack asked.             Pinkie laughed. “That’s a secret. I’ve told you enough already. A good magician never reveals her tricks. Look, there’s cake!”             Multiple tables had been set up for the victory celebration. Cake, punch, candy bowls, sandwiches, and other assorted goodies were everywhere. Villagers began heading towards the spot. The fireworks had to have been their cue. A few of the Salamanders had donned party hats that were far too small for their skulls. X was among them. He had positioned his so that he resembled a unicorn.             Shelly’s odor was in the air. Twilight had to ignore it. The flowers could only do so much. She concentrated on breathing through her mouth.             Fluttershy appeared in the crowd and made her way to Twilight. Shelly wasn’t with her, but the filter around her muzzle proved that they had been around each other earlier. Someone had made a wreath of flowers for her that she was carrying around her neck. She removed the filter as she came forward.             “Hello, Twilight. Did you sleep well?”             “I’m fine. I still have a headache, but that’s normal. Where’s Shelly?”             “She’s waiting for us outside of the village. I figured I’d wait until you got here so you could put that barrier over her before I brought her to the party.”             “Sure. We’ll go get her in a few minutes.”             A few pegasus soldiers landed and got in line for cake. They were followed by a unicorn mage who had taken some earth stallions with her. A few of the Salamanders exchanged garbled pleasantries with them. The ponies tried to greet them in their own language, but failed. They laughed heartily at each other.             A flicker in the corner of her eye directed Twilight’s attention to Aramak’s house. He stepped out of his home with Izu. The two Salamanders waved at Twilight, who returned the gesture. She cast the spell that would enable them to speak with each other once again as Aramak approached her.             Aramak rubbed his mouth and smacked his lips together a few times before speaking. “Twilight! I am glad you could join us. Your overly energetic friend predicted you would be up right about now. I’m grateful for that. It has been hard to stare at all this food without being able to eat any of it until after you had arrived. I’m sure there’s still a lot you have left to talk with me about, but let’s forget that for now and enjoy ourselves. Our village hasn’t been able to celebrate like this for months.”             “That sounds wonderful, Aramak,” Twilight said.             “I’ve been dreaming of this day for a long time,” Izu said. “I never thought it would come true.”             Twilight gave him a wink. “Maybe you’re clairvoyant. We’ll check. In the meantime, let’s eat. I’m starving.”             “Hey, everyone!” Pinkie shouted, her voice loud enough for many of them to hear without the aid of any amplification. “It’s time to get started on being best friends forever!”