//------------------------------// // The Third Chapter // Story: Experiments: Shielded Soul // by TRIBOT 4000 //------------------------------// 𝓣𝓔𝓝 𝓨𝓔𝓐𝓡𝓢 𝓐𝓖𝓞 "Look, maybe you should think this over." "I'm done thinking about it! I'm leaving and there's nothing you can do to change my mind." I yelled at my coach. I've never yelled at my coach before, but he can go to Tartarus now for all I care. "Look, it's not just your reputation on the line here." He said. I gaped at him. "Reputation!? You think I give a damn about reputation right now?" I picked up my suitcase and headed out the door. I paused at the frame ,"He was my best friend. Now he's dead, a changeling might be the cause of it, crap, Lillypad is missing, and all you can think about is this stupid game. I joined for him, I'll quit for him too." And with that, I left. My team won the Super Bowl that year. 𝓟𝓡𝓔𝓢𝓔𝓝𝓣 𝓓𝓐𝓨 Rain pitter pattered against the window outside of our temporary living quarters. Thunder Strike and I were in Appleloosa. Luckily for us, Thunder has an Uncle who was an Apple, so they let us lodge in a spare room. However, judging by how nice they were, they'd probably have let us stay anyway. The house belonged to some young guy named Braeburn, a yellowish tan coated earth pony with a brown tail and mane. His cutie mark was an apple. Who knew? He was a cheerful stallion though, very peppy and perky. Heh, just like me. I looked from the window to Thunder Strike who was eating a green apple. He noticed and swallowed a bite before talking, "I have to say, I wasn't expecting much from apples grown in the desert, but this is pretty good." "They are the Apples. I wouldn't be surprised if they managed to grow apples in a snowstorm." we both chuckled at the notion. "Actually, we've done that before." a voice said from the doorway. We turned and saw Braeburn, slightly wet, probably from being outdoors. Thunder was more surprised than I was, "Wait, you're serious?" Braeburn nodded and Thunder looked down shaking his slowly, "There must be some, like, ancient spell on the Apples then. I thought plants hated the cold, especially apple trees." Braeburn walked over and sat down, "Not if ya cross breed a pine tree with an Appleseed." he took off his hat and put it down, "Speaking of Apples, how's yer Uncle doin' Thunder?" Thunder waved a hoof carelessly, "Oh, same old, same old. He's still a bit of an old coot. Last time I went to visit him he thought I was his wife." I chuckled, "Well you do sound like mare when you're excited." I raised my hooves to my face and squished my cheeks, "Oh my gosh, is that the Soarin of the Wonderboltz? I've gotta get a picture. Take the camera and take the photo as soon as I fly by him. Oh, I'm sure it's legal." I put my hooves down and laughed with Braeburn. Thunder tried but couldn't help himself and laughed as well. After the chuckles died down Braeburn got up and stretched his back. "Well, Ah'm glad Ah was able to catch up on you guys. I need to finish a few things now that the rain's let up, so I'll see you tomorrow." He began trotting to the door as Thunder Strike exclaimed. "It stopped raining already?" Braeburn chuckled, "Yer in the dessert Thunder." again he started to leave but stopped as something came to his mind, "Oh, by the way, there's a stallion who plans on joining you tomorrow. He needs to make a delivery to Dodge City and would probably feel safer traveling with you two." I nodded. That wasn't a problem, at least it wasn't for me. He nodded and left. Looking outside I decided I might as well catch some shut eye. Thunder seemed to get the same idea and went to his bed across the room. While laying there I thought about a few things. Could I have gotten a life like this? Could I have been born to the Apples instead of the Golds? Would I have been happy? Too many questions to think about. They all just lead to the same conclusion: I wouldn't have met Jester if that had happened. I...still hate that memory, holding him in my hooves, limp and cold. Despite that, if I had to lose all the good memories to get rid of the bad one, I'd experience it again and again if I had to. And I do, every night. ____________________________ Starting on our trek the next morning took a little too long for Thunders taste. We had to wait for whoever was joining us and found out he was stuck in his room because the door handle had fallen off. When we did finally take off we headed North, using the train tracks to keep track (see what I did there) of our location. When we came to the fork on the tracks we turned right and headed East. After about half a days travel we came to Dodge City where we left our fellow traveler and got supplies. Then...we headed into the Badlands. The Badlands...are honestly not all that bad, if you're prepared. I can see it being terrible if you were caught out here without any provisions. I doubt even the Apples could grow food on this land. Better not bring it up though, they'd probably take that as a challenge. I'm glad I brought a cloak with me, otherwise the sun would have probably cooked my fur off by now. I was getting tired though, and it was getting late. We probably should have stayed the night in Dodge City. We've been traveling all day and haven't found hide or hair of any living creatures. Not even cacti seemed to like this place. Thunder Strike was looking about the same as I so we trotted until we found somewhere to rest. There was caravan of some sort that had put up tents, so we went over and approached slowly. As soon as we could be seen, their warriors took a defensive stance and approached us with spears and bow-n-arrows. Thunder tensed up but I held hoof up to keep him from doing something brash. I'm am so glad they had us take language class in the guard. I bowed my head and spoke, "Tahiat tayibati. nahn almuhawar min kantirlut. [Greetings. We are ponies from Canterlot.] La naeni 'ayu darrin. [We mean no harm]" I waited for a response. One of theirs ran back into the village, likely to get their leader. He brought back a old pony dressed in beads, with a cloaked figure next to him. The beaded pony spoke first. "'Ana zaeim alqabilat , Raeb Alqulbi. 'ant tataeadaa altaeadiy ealaa almawt yaeni almawt. [I am the Tribe's leader, Heart Terror. You are trespassing. To trespass means death]" I tensed up. Thunder bumped my shoulder. "I may not speak fluently like you do, but I know a threat when I hear one." I looked back at him. "This isn't a threat." I said softly, "This...is an execution." The ponies around us started to close in. I looked at Thunder, he looked back at me and we both nodded. The first pony to attack was a scrawny fellow from behind me. Hearing his hoofsteps I turned around hit the long side of his spear with one hoof and used the other hoof to shove him away. I threw the spear over my head for Thunder to catch, after all I fight better barehoofed. While Thunder took on one of the bow-stallions, I bucked one of the other speared ponies. One Pegasus flew up and tried to ram my stomach with his head. I braced, felt impact, and watched him fall limp on the ground. Thunder Strike was fairing just as well, diving and weaving between shots until he was close enough to take the pony out. He did so with a few more archers as I bashed in a few skulls. Not too hard of course, just enough to cause a concussion. "Stop!" the chieftain said, causing every warrior to cease attacking. That wasn't what surprised me. What surprised me was his perfect Equish. "I've seen enough. You two are pretty good. Wouldn't you say?" He motioned to the other ponies with a hoof. All the conscious ones nodded their heads and chuckled, a real genuine chuckle, as if being beaten so harshly was an enjoyable pastime. Thunder looked curiously at the chieftan, "You speak Equish? Why didn't you say something sooner?" "Thought it'd be funny." he responded with a laugh and ripped off the apparently fake beard, showing he was much younger than we thought. When he stopped laughing he motioned for the ponies to help their companions. As they did so he turned around and smiled at the cloaked figure next to him. The chieftain went back into the camp as the figure removed his hood. I couldn't believe my eyes. "Azure?" I asked in shock. The day just kept getting better. ____________________________ "...after that he decided to stay behind. I didn't know he'd eventually become a chief, but I guess looks can be deceiving." Azure finished his story of the chieftain, who's name really was Heart Terror. "So let me get this straight." Thunder said, "You travel a lot, you met a pony who had business to attend to, he traveled here with you, and then decided to stay?" Azure nodded, as did the chieftain next to him. Now that I could get a better look at him I could see he was barely in his thirties. He had a naturally grey coat with a black mane and tail. From what they told us, the fight wasn't planned on being to the death, which is why they tested to see what we would do. Apparently our not killing anyone of them while still subduing them gave us a right of passage. That still didn't answer one question for me though. "Azure?" I asked. He looked at me expectantly, "I just have to ask: What the hay are you doing out in the middle of the badlands? While I'm on one my of missions, no less." His eyes looked down and to the left for a split second, "I travel a lot. You know that. I just thought that if I was going somewhere, I might as well go where someone I knew was going." That didn't satisfy me. "But what possible job would require you to travel so...much...?" I trailed off as I realized something. I looked him dead in the eye and spoke, "How did you know we were coming to the Badlands? Thunder and I never spoke of the location with anyone besides Honey Page, River Breeze, and the Princess." Azure's face seemed to freeze in position, as if someone had just turned off the expressions on his face. When he did speak, it was cold and calculating, but deep within I could barely sense his fear. "I can't tell you that." He said. I stood up. "Why? Why can't you tell? What possible reason would you withhold information from the Royal Guard? That's treason you know." He stood up as well, "You want to arrest me? Arrest me. I'm still not telling you." We stood there and glared at each other for a good long while before I stormed out. I immediately regretted that decision, mainly because it was hot outside and I'd left my cloak inside. I couldn't go back in though, not with my hot head still boiling. Why couldn't he tell me? What reason was there not to tell me? Well, I guess that's a stupid question. The only way he'd know is if he was spying on me or had someone else spy on me. Then again, maybe he just knew one of my friends. If it was Honey Page, I'd understand her keeping a secret with the irrational fear that I would be mad. River Breeze is great at keeping secrets, though I would have no idea why he'd hide this from me. For all I know, Azure works for Princess Celestia. My inner monologue was interrupted by a figure next to me. With a glance, I noticed it was the young chieftain. He didn't say anything, just stood there. I spoke to him however. "Why won't he tell me? What possible reason would prevent him from telling? I mean, Faust, I've know him seven years, and now I find out he's stalking me?" Heart Terror didn't respond, so I kept going, "No, no. That's not right. There must be some reasonable explanation. He can't be like some sort of rogue, or fugitive. He joined me at the castle once and wasn't addressed by even the princess when she saw him." Again, I was met with silence, so again I kept speaking, "I guess I was kind of hard on him though. I should've asked calmly, not all sternly, like it was my business. I was talking to my friends about it in the open street, he could've been walking by and overheard. I guess I'll just have to ease him into telling me. He'll tell me when it's time." I patted the chieftan on the back and smiled, "Thank you." I trotted back to the tents and went back inside, thankful to be out of the sun. I went to Azure and smiled, "Azure, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. At least not yet. I do want an explanation, and I plan on getting one, but for now it's your secret. Okay?" he smiled and nodded. If I'm being honest, he hardly ever smiles, so this was definitely a victory. The Chieftain returned, so I sat down, and spoke, "Alright then, now that that's outta the way, it's time for a little bit of a fill-in. Thunder and I are on a mission, and we may need some directions if possible."