//------------------------------// // One Sly cat // Story: The Little Pony legend: The Guardians of Harmony // by MaggiesHeartLove //------------------------------// One Sly Cat To say they were tired was an understatement. The Guardians, still guided by Hozu, dragged their feet across the golden hot sand. The sun was beating down hard on them. They could feel their backs literally turning red. Unless they were hallucinating, they could have sworn they saw steam emitting from their bodies, though that could also be a trick of the scorching heat. Sweat dripped from their brows, making their hair stingy and wet. The humans had their clothes stained with sweat and the ponies and changeling had their tails dragging behind them. Dark bangs hung under their eyes. Chi couldn't even float anymore. She was literally being dragged across. Mai and Iris both held her with her arms wrapped around their shoulders. It was a good thing the wisp was light so dragging her didn't take much effort. The wisp's entire body was colored gray. Nori used her pearl magic to try and shield them from the heat earlier, but it only resulted in capturing the sun's light and made them feel even more overheated. Gallant Steed had found a palm leaf that somehow managed to land in the desert a few yards back and levitated it to try and cover Akari, Chrysalis and Nori with it. After a while, the leaf dried up and fell to pieces as they kept on walking. Hozu wiped the sweat from his forehead, his tongue sticking out. He never wanted water so badly. Hiro was hunched over before he finally caved in and feel to his knees, the sand rising and making him cough. "There's sand in my... everything... " Hiro panted and then gave a short laugh, "Heh, heh… Saving... Equestria…" he said, followed by a demented laugh. "Oh! Look! Maybe this guy knows which way to go!" He picked up the head skull of a bird, which no doubt had long since died out here. Hiro's widened left eye witched, completely unfazed at the little bug that crawled out of the skull and up his head, down his back. "What's that, friend? We're lost?" Hiro tossed the skull away, laughing like a maniac before letting out a few hard coughs. He giggled dementedly before collapsing face first into the sand, sinking deeper. "How long have we been walking?" Akari asked, her wings dragging to her side. "Five hours." Iris said, having kept track of the time. "Not counting the five hundred miles we just passed thanks to Chi's super speed." The wisp coughed, her throat dry. "Yeah. Turning into an Ursa Minor to give you kids rides was fun when you were ten, but now…. Seriously, when did you all get so heavy!" "Oh, join a gym!" Mai snapped back at her. "Eat some lettuce!" "There…" Chrysalis panted, "Is no… possible way… that you have ever… traveled here…" the changeling coughed and shuddered in disgust when she felt a drop of her own sweat enter her mouth. "All on your own!" Hozu wiped even more of the sweat dorm hie brow and hair. He normally liked keeping it casualy messy, but now it looked like he really did sleep in the sewer. "He could be dragging us in circles for all we know!" Akari exclaimed, her tired eyes burning a hole through Hozu's skull. Iris would have too, but she was too occupied with making sure Chi didn't pass out on them. "Believe me, if I had ever planned on dying it the desert, it ain't gonna be with a magical electric rope tied around my waist!" Hozu tugged on said rope. If he ever got too far it would automatically electrocute him. "But how were you able to get to Klugetown without collapsing the last time?" Iris asked, her long hair sticking to her cheek. Hozu's eyes widened. "I-uh, I had other means to get there." he said, rather quickly. Iris arched an eyebrow at his sudden nervousness. "And you couldn't have mentioned that before now?!" Nori exclaimed, stomping her hoof on the soft sand, causing it to sink. "Let's just say, it worked better when I was alone. Not with an entire field trip!" Gallant Steed finally gave in, falling onto the sand. "Endless... sand…" he inhaled deeply, stretching his lower eyelids with his hooves. "Nothing for miles... but sand…" he breathed in again then coughed harshly. "And this rock... and this cactus…" Gallant lifted up his rump, where a cactus has stuck to it. He levitated it off and collapsed back down, his eyes landing on a row of rocks, placed closely together. "And this road... this rooooooad…." "A road?" Akari stopped to look at the rocks in which Gallant had collapsed. They had seen many rocks, but these were different. They were flat and placed closer together, much like the rocky roads that they found in someone's garden for decorative purposes. Akari found the strength that remained in her hooves and galloped up the top of the sandy dune where the rocks multiplied. "Where there's a road, there's a…" Akari gasped, a relieved smile grew wide across her face. Iris and Mai also gasped with delight and Chi's gray coloring faded, returning to her original vibrant blue. She found the strength to float again, so Mai and Iris didn't need to carry her anymore. Nori, Chrysalis and Gallant all approached the top of the sand dune, their exhaustion fading once they saw the sight before them. Hozu fixed his hair and smiled victoriously. "Finally." Hozu said to himself in relief before fixing his air and smiled victoriously, while presenting the city to the gang. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Klugetown!" Klugetown was a large city, stacked high on a tall rock with a large number of old and torn buildings. Smoke rose from spires, creating musty gray clouds that only added to the foggy sea that surrounded the base of the large rock. It looked to be millions of years old, and incredibly strong to hold all of that. The path that led to the city was littered with the remains of ships half sunken into the sand, looking like a graveyard. They saw a few airships coming in and out of the port, so at least they would have a way to leave once they found what they needed. Hiro, who had been passed out on the sand the entire time, spontaneously rose up with renewed enthusiasm. Even his cloths and hair were somehow cleaner than before and the bangs under his eyes disappeared. "Hey! We made it! Woohoo! We are doing it, you guys!" "Well, looks like you weren't leading us to our unsuspecting deaths after all." Chrysalis said to Hozu, who gave her a haughty grin as they all made their way towards the city. Scary or not, this was their only lead in finding the Hippogriffs. "You know what they say. Where there's a city, there's a pool!" Nori said with gleeful relief, flipping her already messed up green and purple mane. She was practically drooling at the idea of dipping herself into the cool, rejuvenating waters. "Who says that?" Chi asked. "Incase you forgot, we're on a mission to save the world." Mai said. Nori only held her had up high, "I can multitask." (~) The city didn't look more pleasant up close, but something about its run-down appearance reminded them of the olden towns in the Earth Kingdom from their school's history books, or from pictures of their parents's old adventures. The Misty Palms Oasis, which was also located in a desert, was far cleaner and more welcoming compared to this place. Hozu was accurate in his descriptions. It was a trader's paradise. Well, the word 'paradise' could be used very loosely. The kids saw rows and rows of unkept stands with torn up tarps for shade and all sorts of items placed on the wooden tables, which had their nails nearly falling off. It was a miracle they hadn't collapsed yet. A full on black market city if there ever was one where everything had a price and anything can be sold for the right price. Akari's ears perked in alarm when she saw two pig-like creatures forcibly placing an innocent squawking bird into a cage. "Don't worry, little one, we'll let ya go." "To the highest bidder!" said his companion with a laugh. The button that connected the single strap to his trousers popped out and he grabbed his pants before they fell off. Akari shuddered in disgust and quickly averted her eyes. Compared to the rest of the city, the inhabitants were--ironically enough--the least disturbing thing the kids had ever seen. There was an assortment of anthropomorphic creatures extending from pigs with tusks, fish-like reptilians, rodent-faced abominations with sharp claws and even a few traits that shouldn't belong to their respected animal. Gills could be found on the side of a mole rat's neck, and a large turtle creature had tusks on his snout and cloven feet like that of a goat. Their chimera-like appearances reminded the children of the countless colorful, and diverse assortment of spirits from the Spirit World. They may not appear to be as friendly or "cute" as the most well known spirits back home, but their looks didn't faze them in the slightest. If anything, what disturbed them most were the things that were on display. One vendor, which resembled a giant rat in a dark cloak, eyed Akari and Gallant Steed. "Ooh. Hey! You with the horns… you selling?" His giant fingers wiggled eagerly as if he would pounce and grab their horns himself. The two ponies flinched at both the vendor and what he had on his stand. A variety of disembodied horns, no doubt cut right off by force, aligned the the table. One looked vaguely resembled a unicorn's horn. Iris walked alongside the two, shielding them from the vendor's view. Chrysalis saw a few strange looking birds in cages and immediately her heart dropped at the sight of the poor dears. Changelings were known as caretakers of nature ever since they reformed, and as someone who adorned nature (it being one of her biggest artistic inspirations) she couldn't bare to see these poor animals encaged. She backed away when they all squawked at her in anger. Gallant Steed quickly grabbed her by her front hoof and led her away. "Translation: Don't look them in the eye or they'll peck your guts out." Gallant said. His magical ability was being able to understand animals. Not the most useful of skills, but he was a unicorn with magical talents, so it wasn't that big of a deal. "No petting zone. Got it." Chrysalis said as she and her friend left the area of the caged pets. While the kids each found something to be startled by, be it something up for sale or even one of the creatures eying them in an unsettling manner, Hozu was as cool as a cucumber. "Quite the charming little venue, isn't it?" Hozu placed his hands on Iris's shoulders, pushing her further along the way. "I'll admit, it's no Grand Galloping Gala, but hey, it's got that whole 'colorful' charm you're so into, right?" Hozu stopped pushing Iris once they stopped in a small center of the city and he stepped in front of her. Iris nearly tripped but regained her balance very quickly. "Welp, I've completed my end of the bargain, this has been loads of fun, really, but some things just aren't meant to be. So I'll be on my--GAH!!" Hozu tripped and landed flat on his face at feeling the powerful tug of the rope around his waist. "Uh, Princess, you forgot to untie me." He said, his voice muffled against the dirty floor. "Slow your rolls. We're not through just yet." Iris said, holding the rope tightly in hand. Hozu spit out the dirt from his mouth and narrowed his eyes. "We had a deal! You promised after I brought you to Klugetown you'd set me free!" Iris turned to Chrysalis, who gave Hozu a sly smile. Her entire body glowed green and she changed into a perfect replica of Iris, speaking in her voice. "You're the only one who knows where Klugetown is. You take us there, and after we find what we're looking for, then we'll let you go." Chrysalis changed back into her changeling self, flying up near Iris, giving her a bro-hoof pump. "You didn't think we were going to relinquish our only guide through this place, did you?" Akari said, equally as confident as Iris was. Hozu growled in anger as he stood up, clenching his fists and staring daggers at Iris. "I haven't broken my promise." Iris said. "Where is the best place we can find anything that can lead us to the Hippogriffs?" Hozu groaned in exasperation. "This is the collectables ring. We're going to need to get to the antiques ring if you want to find anything." "Great, let's go!" Akari flapped her wings and took the lead, with Iris following behind. She gave Hozu a cocky grin before walking by. Mai, Nori, Chi and Chrysalis all walked past him, all sharing the same exact smudges. Hiro and Gallant stayed a bit longer to listen to Hozu face palm himself, sighing and shaking his head. "How do you put up with her?" Hiro sympathetically patted him in the back. "Her dad's a cop and her mom's the Avatar. Being hard to deal with is in her blood." "Come on! We're burning daylight!" Iris called out, making Hozu growl infuriatingly. Chi hovered closer to Iris and whispered. "You sure you want to keep him around? We could just find our way ourselves." she asked. The rest of the team following Hozu's lead. "We can't afford to waste anymore time." Akari said, her eyes pealed on all sides, active and alert. "Any second we waste is another in which the Storm King gets closer to conquering Equestria." "Exactly. Besides, we don't know this place very well. We can't risk being led astray." Iris said. "If that means we have to put up with Hozu's infuriating personalty for a few more minutes, then so be it." She said the word 'infuriating' while grinding her teeth tightly. "I don't know." said Nori, "He's not that bad." "What are you talking about? He's selfish, lazy, careless!" "But, cute. Right?" Nori looked up at Iris who looked almost staggered. "I… didn't really notice." Iris replied, speaking low enough so Hozu wouldn't hear. Her female companions were the only ones who did. Nori and Chrysalis both giggled, while Mai and Chi only rolled their eyes. Akari, however, looked more concerned than anything. Hozu walked on by a human sized turtle with spikes on his shell and a tusk sticking out from his snout, without so much as acknowledging his presence. Iris, on the other hand, was more polite and greeted the creature. "Hi, there!" Iris's friendly greeting caught the turtle off guard and he dropped the large barrels he was pushing onto his wagon. "Ooh, I'm sorry. Here, let me help you with that." Hozu stopped and turned around to see Iris helping the turtle. The star on her forehead glowed brightly and the barrels were cloaked with an aura of purple. Sparkles landed on the ground as Iris levitated them back onto the wagon. "Hey! No magic around my merchandise!" The Turtle yelled, startling Iris. She was only trying to help and he couldn't even be thankful for it? Akari got right in between Iris and the turtle, horn glowing bright blue, ready to defend her best friend. She stopped midway when Hozu blocked her from the turtle's view. "Whoa, whoa, easy man! Nobody's taking your loot. Me and my associates will just be going." Hozu grabbed Iris by the shoulder and Akari in mid flight and pushed them away from the turtle. The rest of the Guardians quickly followed, not making eye contact with the angry turtle creature. Not too far away, at a small outside bar, someone watched the children, and caught a sight of Iris's magic. His lips pursed in thought and his ears twitching with interest. "Hmmm… Very interesting…" Once they were far enough away, Hozu exhaled a breath of relief. "First thing's first; This isn't Harmony City, or Ponyville, or whatever! You can't just go around doing your sparkly magic and expect others to be compelled to help you." "I was only--" Iris was cut off when Hozu covered her mouth, shushing her while looking all around. "Just stick close, alright? Don't talk to anybody, and just try to blend in." "Can I have your attention please?!" Mai, Iris and Hozu all groaned when they heard Hiro out in the open, shouting at the top of his lungs at all of the random creatures that walked on by. "Does anyone know where we can find the Queen of the Hippogriffs?!" "You want something? You gotta give something!" Said a large fish-like creature. "Well, I dropped my wallet during the invasion so, how about taking a selfie with your grateful new best pal?" Hiro pulled out his geo-phone and snapped a quick selfie with himself and the fish-man. The flash made him go temporarily blind and he walked away, wanting nothing to do with the boy or his flashing device. "No? Okay, let's see, um… Oh!" Hiro then appeared before a long faced frilled lizard creature with blue scales. "How about this dental floss that's never been used?" he pulled out said string of dental floss, in which there were still very obvious small bits of food stuck to it, and a piece of spinach, along with some pocket lint. When that didn't work, Hiro kept on going to random creatures, offering them any random thing he found in his pockets. "A copy of my last report card? This Red Lion action figure? Mint gum? Seriously, buddy. Help me help you." A pig-faced creature burped in Hiro's face. The nasty stench of his breath went into Hiro's nostrils, nearly making him pass out. Akari magically dragged Hiro away by the collar of his sleeveless jacket. "Hiro, you can't just take off!" Akari said, then spoke through her clenched teeth, "And you don't need to announce to every…" "Relax, Akari. I totally got this!" "How much for the blue girl?" The same blue scaled lizard creature asked, pointing at Chi. "Excuse me?" The wisp rolled up the sleeves of her jacket, her blue coloring almost taking on a faint red. Iris blocked her path before she started a riot. "Uh, Chi isn't for sale." "I want that fancy purple green hair!" A green colored female creature with antlers and a big nose said, staring at Nori. "I'll give ya two storm bucks for it!" The merpony scoffed, "Two storm bucks?! It's worth more than that!" Gallant Steed hoof palmed himself at Nori's responce. Clearly, she was missing the point of this. Before long, they Guardians had an entire swarm of reptiles, rodents and chimera-like creatures already bidding on them as if they were some kind of collectable toys placed to be auctioned. One said he wanted Akari's wings, another wanted Mai's hat. Hiro was starting to see the consequences of his foolishness. He was only trying to find someone who could help them faster, but even in his impatience he had unintentionally placed them all in trouble. Iris readied her stance to defend herself but her attention was lured onto Hozu. More specifically, his hands. Little bits of lightning starting emitting from his fingertips, accompanied by a faint glow. She saw the look on his face, which was a far's cry away from the street-wise wannabe flirt she had recently met. His eyes carried a sense of anger, anxiety and… even fear. She had been paying close attention to the little peculiar things he did. The way he seemed to disappear like the wind back at the festival. The small gusts of wind that seemed to follow him around, and even that one moment where it seemed like his feet were gliding across the floor. Before Iris could dig into this any further she felt one of the creatures grab her arm. "How much for that red scarf?" The beast asked, reaching out to grab it by force. He stopped midway when he saw the star on Iris's forehead glow dangerously bright and she sneered at him. Her eyes giving a very faint white glow and a blinding light of magic manifested in her palm. "The scarf… stays!" The beast was blown away--literally--by Iris's magic. He was sent up into the air and landed head first into a nearby stand, destroying the vendor's items which were now scattered across the dirty floor. "Hey!" The angry vendor marched his way towards Iris. While the princess stood her ground, Hozu, much to her surprised, stepped back in fear. The light energy from his hands hidden behind his back. "You're gonna pay for that!" The Vendor was about to send a fist straight into Iris's face, which was blocked by Mai. The girl was far shorter than the Vendor, yet she managed to hold his fist in her hand like it was nothing. His eyes widened in alarm at the feel of her own hand tightening around his. "You probably shouldn't have done that." Mai said with a sly grin. She then gripped the Vendor's wrist and, with little effort, hoisted him over her shoulder and sent him flying into the air before landing flat faced on the ground. The rest of the creatures stared in horror at the sight of a thin human girls being able to lift a two ton goon over her like it was a medium sized trash bag. Of course, a lot of the stronger-looking thugs didn't like having competition. Rather than scaring them off, the kids attracted more unwanted attention. But, unlike some of the other residents of Klugetown, the kids didn't show any signs of fear. One giant pig creature tried to snatch Akari, who teleported herself out of the way and reappeared again, sending a stream of fire at him. His shirt caught fire and he ran away like a frightened little girl. A creature with a bear-like body and snake's head snarled at Gallant Steed, using a cage he had strapped to his back to try and catch him. Using his airbending, Gallant Steed propelled himself upwards and created a tornado that caught the creature, and a few others in its wake before sending them away, knocking them against a few more stands. These vendors ran away in terror. More of the stronger creatures tried to crush Mai, who was not only physically strong, but also nimble. In a few seconds flat, each of the goons were stacked on top of one another, all disoriented. Mai dusted her hands and leaned against a pillar, casually inspecting her nails. One creature saw his chance to ambush her from behind, only to get a punch to the face and passed out. Mai didn't even need to turn around. As for Hiro, he was casually chewing on the mint gum he had offered one of the creatures. When one came at him with a rope, Hiro casually tossed a strip of gum, which started to glow once it was airborne. It exploded into a sticky mess, trapping the goon and many more in its sugary, sticky web. "Should have taken the gum, buddy." Hiro said while chewing. Nori, of course, used her pearls and hurled them at the lady who wanted her hair. The edges slicing at her own hair, giving her a horrible haircut. She screamed and ran away, leaving Nori to admire her own reflection in one of her pearls, which hovered in front of her. Chi, in her wolf form, zipped back and forth, tying several of the creatures's legs together without them being able to see her. Once she stopped, she pulled at the rope with her mouth and they were all knocked down to the ground. Mai then took the rope and hurled them away. Chrysalis was blocked. The giant rats drawing as they towered over her. The changeling gave them a charming smile. "Now, now, boys. You wouldn't harm a Queen, would you?" She said, speaking in an eloquently pleasing voice. The rats stared at her in confusion, which only made Chrysalis laugh. Her entire body glowed green and her beautiful, naturally young body had changed back into the sickly thin and black colored version of the Evil Queen Chrysalis, complete with fork tongue and distorted voice. The rats dropped their ears (one even peed himself) and they all ran away screaming like little girls. Chrysalis changed back into her real self, flipping her beautiful yellow green hair. Nori have her a hoof-pump. "You can take the girl out of the Queen. But you can't take the Queen out of the girl." Nori said, hugging her friend. As for Iris, she was handling herself just as well as the others. Fighting side by side with Akari, the two kicked, punched and flipped various incoming opponents, determined to take either their horn, wings or the scarf. Iris would rather eat cow manure than let anyone take away her father's scarf. It was more precious to her than any jewel that could be found in the mines of Ponyville. Hozu watched from the sidelines. His mouth dropped and eyes widened at seeing all of these rich city kids using these abnormally incredible powers to defend themselves. He had never seen anything like it before. And Iris--a beautiful, royal princess--was taking on a guy that was twice her size using not only her magic and bending, but also her natural agility and wits. She barely even used the elements, seeing as she was able to knock them down with a few good punches and kicks. Hozu cringed in pain at the sight of her fist finding some guy's jaw. It looked as if a rock had stricken his face. The last goon fell to the ground when Akari kicked him right in the stomach. His tongue stuck out and his eyes rolled in their sockets. The Guardians each stood proudly beside each other, dusting off their cloths from the fight. Hozu finally recovered from his astonishment and laughed. "Dang. You city kids are crazy." "Runs in the family." Gallant Steed said. "There y'all are!" A voice, one they didn't recognize, was hear amongst the crowd. The kids saw a tall caramel colored cat wearing a long red trench coat emerge, looking frantic and worried. Judging by his voice and size, he looked to be around his early twenties, close to Chrysalis's age. "Didn't I tell ya not to go around causin' trouble?" The cat said sternly to the kids. Iris, Akari and the others all looked at one another in confusion. The cat creature then gave Akari a wink and a hidden smile away from the audience. The alicorn's ears perked with interest. "You know these freaks?" The fish creature asked. The cat stepped in between the crowd and the Guardians, outstretching his arms, warning them not to come too close. "Back up, everyone! Back it up! Y'all in some serious danger! Now you didn't touch any of them, did you? Just look at all those colors! You think that's natural?" He then whispered to a porcupine creature, "They're infected with "Pastelis Coloritis"." The creatures all gasped in horror. The kids, while mainly confused, could plainly see that this guy was trying to play the crowd. "What's that?!" One of the creatures asked, already shaking in his pants. "Believe me, you don't want it anywhere near you! See, I found these poor diseased kids out in the wilderness and I've been trying to find a cure for it. But, as you can see, they can't stand being cooped up for too long. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience." The cat creature politely took Mai and Chi's shoulders and began to kindly lead them, and the others, away from the crowd. "I'll just be taking these sickly ones back to my place where I can tend to them properly." "Hold on! How come you're not sick?" A Deer-like creature asked. "Because, my 'deer' friend, felines such as myself are immune to this particular illness. Why else do you think I haven't let y'all go anywhere near em? But don't worry, as long as you're not covered in purple splotches, you'll be fine." While no one was looking, the cat dipped his tail into the juice of a crushed purple fruit on the ground, the result of the fight from earlier, and splashed the liquid onto the arms of the fish creature without him knowing. "Uh-oh." The fish man gasped at the purple 'splotches' on him that even the others stepped away in terror. "What do I do?! Where's the cure!" "Sadly, I haven't gotten enough ingredients to finish it up, and I doubt I will in time." The cat said, his ears dropping with sadness, even his green eyes grew bigger to better sell the facade. "If I were you'd, I'd enjoy my last moments. And don't touch anyone. Because parts will fall off." The creatures all ran off in terror, the Fish creature already inspecting his body to see that all of his parts were still in tact. Once the coast was clear, the cat dusted his suit and addressed the kids. "Well, all right. Quite the impressive performance you kids just pulled. I've never seen anything like it." "Thanks for your help." Chi said, floating up to him. "That was awesome!" "I'll say! You put on the charms like a pro!" Nori said, immensely impressed with the cat's performance. "It's like watching a sculptor but your clay was lies!" Hiro said, equally impressed. Chrysalis tilted her head, looking at him quizzically. "Normally, I don't condone lying, but you did save us the trouble of needing to knock a few more heads so, I'll let it slide." "I'll be taking that as a compliment." The cat kneeled before Chrysalis, taking her hoof and kissing it. "Capper's the name. Charming's my game." Chrysalis felt her cheeks turn red at his gesture, and Nori giggled. "So, I hear you're looking for the Hippogriffs." All eyes fell on Hiro, who blushed and whistled innocently while scratching his head. "We're trying to find something that can lead us to where they are." Iris said. "Is that so? Well, I--" Capper stopped midway when he saw the white-haired barefoot young man trying to make his leave. Hozu made the mistake of taking a step, literally, too far and he was electrocuted by the rope still around his waist. He collapsed to the floor and Capper towered over him. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" Hozu's eyes widened. "M-Me? No! No, no, not at all! You see, I just have one of those types of faces and--" "Oh, now I remember! You broke into my place to steal my stuff once!" Capper's green slits became even more intense. A fierce growl could be heard vibrating from his throat. "That was a long time ago!" Hozu said as he stood up, still trying to keep up the innocent act. "It was eight months." "Was it? I-I hardly keep tabs of where I've been." Hozu's eyes darted towards Iris and the others, all of which gave him disapproving glares. They knew, for a fact, that what he said was a flat out lie. If he didn't remember, then he never would have been able to bring them to Klugetown to begin with. Capper ignored him and addressed the Princess and her companions. "As I was saying; if it's the Hippogriffs you're looking for, I believe I might be able to help." "You know where they are?" Akari asked, almost too eagerly. "Well, not exactly, but I have heard of them. I'm a collector of oddities, so my place may have something that can be of assistance to y'all. I should warn you though, I'm a bit of a hoarder so it may take some time to find." "It won't be a problem." Akari said with visible determination. "I'm sure with all of us we'll find something in no time." Capper stroked his chin. "Hmmm. I like your confidence, little one." Iris then turned to Hozu and, with a wave of her wrist, she magically made the rope around his waist disappear. It almost felt weird to not have it around him anymore. "A deal's a deal. You're free to go, Hozu." "Wait, seriously?" "Yeah." Iris said with a nod. "I'm sure we can take it from here." She felt Capper's paws on her shoulder. "If you'd like, your boyfriend here can come along too." "He's not my boyfriend!" "I'm not her boyfriend!" Both Iris and Hozu exclaimed at the same time, faces red from embarrassment. Gallant Steed and Akari slapped their foreheads with their hooves and shaking their heads. They should have seen this coming. "Besides, I doubt you'd want me anywhere near your place." Hozu said, folding his arms and turning away. Capper then wrapped his arms around Hozu, much to his surprise, and discomfort. "Hey, hey, I'm not one to hold grudges. I know what it's like out here. You gotta look out for your own. But, that doesn't mean we gotta act like savages, now do we? Besides, I've been meaning to clean up my pad anyways." Capper adjusted his jacket and took the lead, "So… to the Hippogriffs, then?" Hozu saw everyone already starting to follow the talking cat and immediately something felt off. He never thought much about this 'Capper' the last time he snuck into his place to steal something, but there was something peculiar about the way he carried himself. He did so with such suave. The kind of suave that could lure in anyone like a moth to a flame. The others stopped abruptly when Hozu came in between them and Capper, speaking in a whisper. "Hang on. I'm not so sure you should trust this guy. Nobody in Klugetown does anything for free." "Oh, so now you care?" Mai said, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes in disapproval. "Also, weren't you the one who stole from him?" "Well, I-I didn't--" "He also did just help us out." Hiro said. "Plus, he's got that cool jacket!" "And we could definitely use another friend out here." said Nori. Capper then appeared right in between Hozu and Mai. "You know what? Little Seashell Hair is right. And, if I do say so myself..." This town is not a nice place  For little kitties all alone  There are lots of twists and corners  That could lead to the unknown  Let me guide your way  And I'll be sure to help you through  You could really use a friend out here  And luckily for you...  It wasn't enough that Capper had an alluringly natural charisma and a smooth sounding voice… but he could sing too? Hozu could feel his envy boiling over. He had worked hard to master the 'suave-street-wise charmer' routine for years, and this guy just swoops in and does a better job at it than he ever did? Even Iris and the others could agree that Capper was far more pleasant to be around than Hozu was, which only prompted his suspicions all the more. I'm the friend that you need  When you're lost and don't know what to do  I'm your pal, your amigo  Useful and resourceful, too  And my help, you'll concede  Is a plus guaranteed  Capper led the kids through a small little market where they sold all kinds of fruit by fist pumping the creature standing guard out front. While the kids weren't looking, Capper swiped a few fruits from a stand, also unseen by the vendor himself. Capper juggled the fruits and handed two of them to a couple of hungry bystanders and the last one to Mai, who smiled in gratitude. You can call and I'll come running  Just follow my lead  'Cause I'm the friend you need!  The two creatures he had given the fruit to joined in the song. Earnest creature: He's a friend  Scaly creature:  Quite a friend!  Together: He's a friend indeed!  Even though Hozu was technically free to leave and didn't need to stay, he remained none the less. He wasn't alongside the group, but rather behind them, observing Capper closely. The cat himself proved to be as helpful as he claimed he was. He blocked the kids from an incoming large creature, swatted a tentacle away from Nori that grew from a barrel and used a plank of wood as a bridge for the kids to walk across in between two rooftops. They also rode on a train car and jumped off before they reached the broken part of the track. You need a bud to spot the danger  A pal to stop the creep  A chum and not a stranger to assist  You need a bro who is cunning  That can help you take the leap  A friend who knows what's lying in the mist  Capper led them through one area that had a thick mist. Gallant Steed saw red eyed bats beginning to swarm all around. He was about to use his magic to shilled himself, but Capper swooped in and did it for him with an umbrella that had holes on it but still spared him from the winged creatures. Don't fear these darkened alleys  They're scary, yes, I know  Why, you could use a friend  To protect you wherever you go  The Cat man danced around Chrysalis, bowing like a gentleman, which made her blush. And such a dazzling beauty  Covered in dirt and muck  But now your fate is changing  Now you are in luck  Capper rolled out a long red carpet so Chrysalis and the others wouldn't need to walk over the filth and Capper let them to his home, which was at the top of a tall water mill. 'Cause I'm the friend that you need  When you're lost and don't know what to do  I'm your pal, your amigo  Lookin' out for friends like you  And my help, you'll concede  Is a plus guaranteed  Just call and I'll come running  We'll say it's agreed...  Capper led everyone into the door of the gate, one by one they all thanked him. Hozu was dead last, but rather than thank him, he shot him an angry glare which Capper ignored, still smiling. Once they were all on the other side, Capper closed the door and turned to a small little creature wearing a large scarf that covered half of his face and tucked in a small note. "Here. Tell Verko, my place, twenty minutes. I've got something that will magically erase all my debt." With a sly smile, Capper bursted back in, singing once more as the others hitched a ride on one of the mill's wings towards the top. 'Cause I'm the friend you need!  Guardians: He's a friend  Chrysalis: Quite a friend!  Guardians: He's a friend indeed!  (~) Capper stuck his head out from the floor door that led into his home and jumped out. "Welcome, my little kitties, to my little manor." One by one, the Guardians climbed out and immediately they were welcomed by the sweet, familiar scent of steaming hot tear already brewing in a small side kitchen right there in the living room. Capper's place was unlike the rest of Klugetown. It was nicely kept with an assortment of treasures and trinkets neatly placed on shelves that gave the place a variety of colors. One opened cabinet held the silverware and dinner plates, many of which had a few chips but it didn't take away their natural shine. A single table had an old and slightly torn up cloth over it and small empty crates with soft, fluffy pillows were used for chairs. Capper had several glass decorative bottles dangling from the ceiling which showered the room in a warm rainbow glow. "Ooh! Kind of a roco-hobo-Bohemian-urban living hodgepodge." Nori said, using a word she remembered Rarity having used before. "Apologies for the state of my litter box. I wasn't expecting guests." Capper said, already pouring hot steaming tea into the cups. He handed a few to Chi and Mai. They sipped it and were pleasantly surprised at how sweet it tasted. Hiro places his hands into his pockets, admiring a very expensive looking vase on the table. He whistled, impressed. "Swanky!" Chrysalis zipped on by, her green eyes sparkling as she studied the designs of the vase. "Whoa! The broad strokes of the corners are the ideal replication of authentic old style Deco-Vaue!" Capper's green eyes widened, his ears perking upwards. One of his ears had a small bit cut off. "Wait. You know old style Deco-Vaue?" "Probably one of the few alive who still does. Hardly anyone does it in this shape anymore." Chrysalis said, her insect wings flapping rapidly with excitement and she zipped towards a portrait of what appeared to be a white colored feline sitting on a soft velvet pillow. The image had no direct outlines and instead looked as it the entire thing was made by precisely placed brush splashes. "Splash style brush painting?!" Chrysalis gasped loudly, "And cranberry juice for perfect shadow effect! I recognize that trick anywhere!" "Wow. You really know your stuff." Capper said, genuinely impressed by the insect-equine's enthusiasm for the world of art. "Where did you find all of this?" "Actually, I, uh…" Capper scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I… made them myself." Chrysalis's eyes grew wider than they had ever been and she gained up on Capper, their noses practically touching. "Get. Out. Seriously!?" "Well, aside from being a collector, I do dapple in a little art myself from time to time." "Dude! You have got to tell me where you learned old style Deco-Vaue! Even I can't get those strokes right. Everybody else keeps saying 'it looks fine', yeah sure, but not Deco-Vaue fine, you know what I mean?" "I totally understand where you're coming from!" Capper said, his eagerness matching Chrysalis's own. His whispers rose up once he realized what he just said. He… he had never said that to anyone before. And… he had never found anyone who got his art the way he did. This was something he normally kept to himself, since nobody else in Klugetown would ever understand. Hozu leaned against a book shelf as he watched the two continue talking about art. He kept his eyes on Capper, noticing the shift from a beguiling singing and dancing fellow into an all out excited little kid talking about his favorite toy. "You know, I'm actually really surprised you decided stick around." Iris said, drawing Hozu's attention away from Capper, who was already searching an old box and pulled out a sketchbook for Chrysalis to see. He could hear the buzzing of her wings from where he stood. Iris and Akari had already gotten to work on searching for anything related to the hippogriffs by looking at various books on a shelf. "Considering how desperate you were to get away." "W-Well, technically, you said only after you found what you were looking for. You still haven't so… " "So, now you want to follow the rules?" Iris said, once again, mimicking that smug grin of his. Hozu thought he was the one who was good at pushing her buttons, but it would appear this 'pampered princess' was equally good at getting under his skin as well. She was stubborn and self-assured to the point of being unbendable. But, her family was in danger, but it would make sense for her to be this steadfast in her quest. "Hey, I don't follow anyone!" Hozu stated, glaring at Iris as if she had just insulted him. Akari flew up to his face, with a book in her hooves. "Well, since you're here, mind making yourself useful and help us look?" The pink alicorn princess shoved the book against his chest, so hard it knocked the wind right out of him. "You were here before, so let us know is anything triggers your memory." Akari said before flying off to the upper part of the book shelf. "And if you don't want to… door's right over there." Iris gestures towards the wooden door on the floor with a somewhat knowing tone. Looking at her face, Hozu had a feeling she could easily predict his decision. She was definitely the daughter of a police officer, no doubt using both the 'good-cop/bad-cop' routine to get what she wanted. The best thing for Hozu, for all of them really, would be if he left right now and never looked back. Go back to his carefree life and pretend none of this ever happened. The Storm King can be their problem, not his. He never asked to get involved in this whole epic adventure, so he had no obligations to stay. The princess was letting him go, so he should go… right? Hozu wanted to will his legs to take him out of this water mill, but the sinking suspicion about Capper still lingered. Maybe he was wrong and these guys would be perfectly fine. They'll find the Queen of the Hippogriffs and head back home. And, if Capper was a crook? But then, what could Hozu do about it? And why would he care? He wasn't supposed to care. He didn't care. Hozu let out a growling sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose and bite his tongue inside his mouth. If he was debating about this so much, it could only mean one thing... "Fine." The white-haired young man got to work in searching the shelf. Iris couldn't stop the satisfied smile that formed across her lips. If he really didn't care, he would have left without caring on wether or not Capper was just as greedy as the rest of the Klugetown population. Maybe Nori was right and he wasn't as bad as she originally thought. "Where did you learn that?" Hozu asked suddenly as he and Iris searched the shelves, picking out random books and flipping through the pages. "Learn what?" "What you did back there with those thugs. That's street fighter moves, where does a princess learn to street fight?" "From my dad." Hozu blinked and shook his head in disbelief. "No." "I'm serious." "Your dad? King Mako? The poster guy for law and order taught you how to street fight?" Iris rolled her eyes. "He wasn't always a king, you know. Before he married my mom, dad used to live as a street-rat." she explained as she continued flipping through the pages. She could feel Hozu's startled expression from the corner of her eye. "His parents were killed by a firebender when he was eight so he spent ten years taking care of himself and his younger brother." "Before her met your mom, right?" "Yeah. But, Mom wasn't always a queen either." "Obviously. She got her wings after she created that portal that interlinked the two worlds." "Yes, but before that, mom grew up in a compound in the south pole, guarded by the White Lotus." "That doesn't sound too bad. Aren't compounds nice looking?" "Nice looking, yes. Pleasant… not even close. My mom hated it there. All she did was train and train. She didn't have any friends until she moved to Republic City when she was around my age." Hozu placed the last book he was looking into back onto the shelf, his startled eyes not once leaving Iris. "But, she's the Queen of Friendship, isn't she like the most well known expert on the subject?" "Yeah, but she wasn't always like that. Just as my dad wasn't always the chief of police." "What about you?" "What about me?" "Were you always the Princess of Friendship/Avatar hero everyone says you are?" Iris's hand hovered over another book, but her focus was more on Hozu's question than what was inside the pages. "I was born a princess. And an alicorn, and an Avatar. But, I wasn't always a hero. Heck, I didn't even know I had Avatar powers until a few years back. Mom and dad taught me everything I know. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for them." "So, I wasn't entirely off base, was I?" Hozu said with a somewhat monotone voice. It sounded almost envious. "You really did have a squeaky clean upbringing." Iris's brows furrowed and the hand that hovered over the book rolled up into a full blown fist. "You're just full of it, aren't you?" Iris's voice didn't rise, but it was firm and strong enough for only Hozu to hear as she stepped closer. She spoke through gritted teeth. "You think you've got me all figured out, but you know nothing about me! I may not have grown up on the streets or in a gilded cage but that's only because my parents have done everything to make sure I grew up with my family and friends! They've sacrificed everything for me, and now I'm going to do everything I can to save them! But you don't seem to comprehend that, do you?" "Well not everyone can be as lucky as you!" Iris's eyes widened and softened at Hozu's sudden confession, but she wasn't anymore startled than Hozu was. He hadn't expected on admitting something so personal, especially to someone he just met. Iris now understand why Hozu was so distant, or at least he tried to be. Unlike Iris and the rest of her friends… Hozu didn't have anyone. She had suspected it, but she didn't want to make too much of an assumption, and she didn't want to bring it up because she knew how personal that kind of topic was. Her father dealt with troublesome orphans all the time, so she understood that much. Iris wouldn't go so far as to call her upbringing "squeaky clean", after all she did spent a big part of her early teen years wanting to follow in her mother's footsteps and being unsure of herself. That wasn't a pleasant feeling. Not to mention she allowed her desire to be a hero cloud her judgment and she placed her friends in danger back at the Dark Spirit Realm. But, she was in no place to say she had it worse than Hozu did. She had friends, she had a family, she had more freedom to go out and discover herself outside of the Avatar name. But Hozu… who knows how long he had been on his own. She said he didn't know anything about her, but truth be told, she didn't know anything about him either. The white-haired young man turned his eyes away. "I'm sorry." Hozu said, handing her another book to search. "Your parents sound like amazing people." Iris took the book in her hand, tracing her fingers over its surface. "Thanks." The conversation ended right then and there and the two continued to search the books again. As they were talking, Akari had silently been listening. A lump was caught in her throat when she saw the way Iris was looking at Hozu. (~)