Ryota wandered through the hallway towards Twilight’s room. The thought of meeting Equestria’s leaders was hard to believe, it was so soon. His pawsteps didn’t echo throughout the hallway like hoofsteps, it was almost completely silent. Ryota didn’t know how to feel about the situation. He knew it would be about time for him and his siblings to meet the rulers, but he had no idea what to expect from them. His head was straight, but it felt like there was something else swimming in his mind.
He approached Twilight’s door which was cracked open. When he peeked inside he spotted Twilight, who was marking her calendar by drawing a big red circle on the square just below the current date. Twilights smile had not disappeared since the announcement. In fact, Ryota thought it had gotten even bigger. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled through his muzzle. With his head cleared, he slipped out a claw from his paw and lightly tapped on the door. Twilight turned her head at the soft knock.
“May I come in?” Ryota asked.
“Of course,” Twilight replied.
Ryota gently nudged the door open and entered the princess’s room. He looked around and took in all of the fine decor her room had, from the huge bed with purple drapes to the shiny blue floor to the tiny library she had. The fact that a huge room was given to a pony of her size was fascinating to him. He couldn’t help but feel tiny in her huge room. His eyes kept on scanning the room and marveled in its elegance.
“Nice room, isn’t it?” Twilight asked.
Ryota snapped out of his trance and shook his head.
“Sorry. I’ve never seen your room before. It’s so sleek,” Ryota complimented. “At least, compared to the rest of the rooms in the castle.”
“Thanks. It is a room fit for a princess,” Twilight joked.
“So modest,” Ryota replied, sarcastically.
“I’m not really like that you know,” Twilight giggled.
Ryota nodded and smiled back at Twilight.
“Was there something you wanted to talk about?”
Ryota’s smile went away as he remembered what he wanted to ask Twilight in the first place.
“Yes, actually. It’s about your mentor,” Ryota said.
“Oh?” Twilight asked.
“Princess Celestia, what’s she like?” Ryota wondered.
“What’s she like? Where do I start?” Twilight chirped as her eyes lit up. “She’s undoubtedly one of the most caring, knowledgeable, and courageous ponies in all of Equestria! I remember the day I took my entrance exam to get into her School for Gifted Unicorns. At first, my magic didn't work. I thought I was done for. But then, a huge magical explosion occurred outside and I experienced my first magic surge."
“Magic surge?” Ryota asked. “As in, you’re first time experiencing magic?”
"In a sense, yes,” Twilight answered.
“What was the magical explosion?”
“That's a story for a different time. Anyway, I was freaking out and my magic was going haywire, at one point I accidentally turned my parents into plants.”
Ryota jerked his head at that last statement. He wasn’t sure if he heard her correctly. She turned her own parents into plants? How was that possible? He thought it would be better to ask her about that later and continue to listen to her story.
“Everypony else was understandably afraid to get close or even be in the same room as me...but not her. Not Celestia,” Twilight explained fondly.
“What did she do?” Ryota wondered.
“She cantered right up to me without a fright on her face and nuzzled me down from my freakout. That was how I first met her, and how I became her personal protégé."
Ryota was at a lost for words. From the way she described it, Twilight sounded like she had no control over her magic. Until this Celestia figure calmed her down in the most nurturing ways, it sounded like something a mother would do. Ryota couldn’t help but smile when Twilight’s story was over.
“Wow, it sounds like she’s a very-”
“And don’t even get me started on her accomplishments!” Twilight interrupted.
“Oh Ok…” Ryota muttered.
"She's taken down many threats across Equestria from a shadowy unicorn obsessed with crystals to a literal power hungry centaur! Both she and her sister, Luna, have done so much for our kingdom, they’re strong enough to hold back a blizzard that would’ve froze an entire empire! They always keep their subjects safe and will fight for them until the end."
Ryota blinked and waited to see if there was anything else for Twilight to say. After a few more seconds of silence, it was made clear that she was done.
“Is that all?” Ryota asked to make sure.
“Yeah. Sorry, I can get a little carried away,” Twilight said, sheepishly.
“I can tell,” Ryota chuckled. “From the way you described her, she sounds like an honorable creature. Especially if she was willing to help you during your exam despite never meeting you prior.”
“She really is. I’ll never forget that day,” Twilight said with a soft smile.
“What about her sister? Luna, right? What is she like?” Ryota asked.
“Luna is a different story. She wants the same thing Celestia wants, which is to make sure that all of the ponies of Equestria are safe and sound. But her past is a bit more complex. I’m sure it would be a subject she would want to explain herself,” Twilight explained.
Ryota could tell something was a little off. From the brief description of Luna, it almost sounded like she had some sort of shady past she didn’t want to reveal. Twilight didn’t exactly slump to the floor, but her expression was a little more uneasy, staring off nervously.
“Oh. I understand,” Ryota replied. “I just have one more question.”
“You can ask as many questions are you want. It’s not like you’re on a limit or anything,” Twilight assured.
“But this is something I’ve been most concerned with. How do Celestia and Luna feel about...outsiders?” Ryota asked.
“Oh, they’re always open to meeting new creatures beyond Equestria. They rarely declare war on any nations. They’ll even make alliances with other creatures in order to stop a common threat. The only way they would act harshly is if you would to attack them first.”
“I don’t see any reason to attack them.”
“Then you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Ryota sighed, “That’s a relief. Truth be told, I’m a little anxious to meet them. I didn’t think it would happen so soon. We haven’t been in Ponyville for that long.”
“I can understand if you’re nervous. Meeting the ruler of a nation can be a scary thing. If I was in your...uh, paws, I’d be freaking out too.”
“I mean I’ve met leaders before.”
Twilight’s eyes widened at that last statement.
“You have?” she asked, surprised.
“Yeah, but it was always with those belonging to other skulks, packs or other tribes. But never have I met with someone who rules over an entire kingdom.”
Ryota began to rub his leg with his paw and darted his eyes to the floor. Even some of his tails began to frizz up from thinking about it. Twilight calmly approached Ryota and placed a gentle hoof on his shoulder. He looked up at her purple eyes and smile.
“Believe me, Celestia and Luna are some of the most welcoming ponies I know. They would never distrust a species just because they were different. Where would we be now if they did?”
Ryota stopped his shaking and his tails returned to their normal and fluffy selves, but his eyes returned to the ground. He didn’t say anything, but Twilight could tell he was still a little nervous. She rubbed the back of her head in thought.
“What if we talk about something else to take your mind off of it?” Twilight suggested.
“Like what?” Ryota asked as he looked up again.
“Well,” Twilight paused. “There’s actually something I’ve been meaning to ask you. You and your siblings have been in Ponyville for some time now, even if it’s only been a few days. I would very much like to know where you all came from.”
Ryota froze up once more. He stepped back from Twilight, but this time his eyes never left hers. His eyes didn’t change in size and the shiny gold color of the iris was still the same, but Twilight couldn’t help but detect a sense of emptiness from them. She stared into his eyes, they were gold but started to lack any emotion.
“Twilight, you know that’s a sensitive subject,” Ryota said. “We only arrived in Ponyville the day before we met all of you.”
“I know and I’m sorry for bringing it up. But at some point you’re going to have to talk about it,” Twilight stated.
“I’m aware of that,” Ryota replied.
“What will you say to the princesses if they ask you about it?” Twilight added.
The seven-tailed fox remained completely still in the room. Twilight knew she had to get answers, but she couldn’t help but feel the guilt that was slowly filling her chest as she held it. She looked back at Ryota and felt bad about asking him.
“How about this: you don’t have to tell me the whole story. Why not just tell me one or two things about your home. I don’t want to force you to get personal,” Twilight suggested.
“I guess I owe you that much.” Ryota took a deep breath in and exhaled. “We were born in a place called New Shrine.”
“New Shrine?”
“I don’t know where to begin. It wasn’t a big city or a rural town, it was more like a small and rustic village. But It’s not like we minded living in a limited area. I remember every fox there was living lives of passion and peace. Whether it was relaxing at the arcade or creating false images to fool one another for fun, there was always something to do. And whenever our home was threatened by some creature or mystic force, our best warriors would gather to defend our home, using our claws, teeth, and magic. And we wouldn’t stop until the threat was either gone or surrendered. Those were fun days.”
Twilight was absolutely astonished by what she heard. She found it nearly impossible to wipe the intrigued smile off of her face, not that she actually tried or wanted to. A soft smile also appeared on Ryota's muzzle by the time he was finished describing his home.
“It sounds like a wonderful place, Ryota,” Twilight said.
“It really was,” Ryota sighed.
“How do you feel?” Twilight asked.
“A little better, actually,” Ryota admitted.
“That’s great to hear. Sometimes reminiscing about the past can help calm your nerves and remember the fond times you once had. It can also make you look forward to the future, and you didn’t even have to tell explain everything to me.”
“But I will have to eventually.”
The two stood there in silence, they weren’t exactly sure what to do next. They could only stand and let the awkward silence take over. Ryota couldn’t help but feel responsible for some of it, even though he knew it wasn’t that big of a deal.
“Yes, soon. But not today. I’m glad you’re not feeling nervous anymore,” Twilight said.
“Oh, I still am,” Ryota admitted. “But not as much. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. That’s just what friends do for each other.”
Ryota smiled at the princess, who kindly returned the gesture. The silence returned, but it wasn’t as awkward this time. Ryota could definitely feel the more pleasant feeling in the air.
“I should probably go check on my skulk,” Ryota said.
“Sounds good to me,” Twilight replied.
Ryota bowed his head and turned to walk towards the door.
“Hey, Ryota.”
The seven-tailed fox stopped and turned his head and stared at Twilight.
“Everything will be fine.”
Ryota nodded and exited the room. His chest was empty of anxiousness and was replaced with a warm reassurance. He walked silently through the corridor and back towards his room. While his heart was more calm, the inside of his head still felt a strange fuzziness inside. He didn’t know why, but he felt like something was swarming in his head the moment he brought up his home. He grunted as he rubbed his head. It was probably some leftover nerves, it had to be. He tried to ignore it by shaking his head and continue his walk.
Meanwhile, in the library of the castle, Kichiro was browsing through some books. He gently dragged the tip of his claw across the books to see which one would grab his attention, which also created a soft clicking sound when he walked. His three tails waved as he strolled along the long line of books neatly stacked in the equally long shelves. He eventually stopped and placed his claw on one of the books and pulled it out of its shelf. The book had a brown cover with a blue swirl on it. Kichiro stood in one place as he flipped through the pages of the book, he found himself surprised to find that the pony’s language appeared similar to his own, save for a few strange pictures.
“Huh,” he said.
At the same time, Spike entered the room and spotted Kichiro attempting to read the book. He was a little hesitant about approaching the fox, but his instincts ended up getting the better of him.
“Kichiro?” Spike asked as he walked up to him.
Kichiro turned and noticed Spike looking up at him.
“Oh, hello tiny dragon. Word has it that your Emi’s new servant,” Kichiro said. “Of course, she was the one who told me.”
Spike groaned and pinched the bridge of his snout with his claw.
“I am not her servant,” he said.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Would you prefer ‘pet’ instead? She mentioned how much you love being called that,” Kichiro teased.
Spike growled and tried his best to keep his frustration down. He rubbed his face and tried to think of something else to forget the incident from this morning.
“What are you doing in here?” Spike wondered. “I thought you were working at Sweet Apple Acres.”
“I was. Now I’m taking a break,” Kichiro answered, holding up his book for emphasis.
Spike let out a nervous breath, “Applejack’s not going to like you taking a break without her permission. Won’t she notice that you’re missing?”
“Highly unlikely,” Kichiro chuckled.
A Few Minutes Ago
“Ok, Kichiro, back to work. Ah need ya to scoop all the weeds ya yanked out and put em in these here bins,” Applejack ordered as she gestured her hoof towards a set of empty, little straw bins. “Got it?”
“Yes, master,” Kichiro replied as he bowed his head to the ground.
Applejack rolled her eyes and trotted off to continue her apple bucking. Kichiro raised his head and checked his surroundings. Once he saw that Applejack was no longer in sight, he formed a toothy grin. His eyes illuminated and he started to walk forwards. He continued to walk until he grew a pair of eight paws and six tails. While he was walking, his shell remained in the same place he originally stood. Kichiro kept walking until he was completely separate.
He shook his body until his fur was all fluffed up again and he turned around and marveled at the glowing mold where he used the stand. The glow died down and a second three-tailed fox stood where Kichiro was originally standing. The fake fox opened its eyes and stared at Kichiro.
“I need you to scoop up these weeds and put them into the empty bins,” Kichiro instructed as he motioned towards the bins and the piles of weeds.
“Ok,” the copy replied and immediately got to work.
Kichiro smiled as he watched his copy grabbed a pile of weeds with his muzzle and dropped them into one of the small bins. Once he knew his replica got the routine figured out, he sauntered off and out of the orchard. He chuckled to himself as he made his way towards the castle.
Present
Kichiro flipped through more pages of the book he was holding, only to find more of the strange pictures of ponies and other creatures. Ranging from a giant bear with stars for fur to a huge and bull-like creature. His brow raised with interest and he continued to skim through the book.
“Interesting,” he muttered.
“Uh, Kichiro,” Spike said.
“Huh?” Kichiro broke his focus and noticed Spike staring at him with his head tilted.
“Why is it unlikely that Applejack will notice you're gone?” Spike asked.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Spike blinked. “Ok.”
Kichiro stared down at Spike with his brow raised. “Aren’t you going to ask what I’m up to?”
“I’m a little scared to ask,” Spike admitted.
“You should be,” Kichiro smirked.
Spike didn’t blink this time, his eyes were wide with anxiety and were afraid to even move. He looked back and noticed that the door he entered through was wide open. Yet all he did was stare up at the fox who still wore that smirk on his face.
“You’re not very good at holding conversations, are you?” Kichiro teased.
“I know I’m going to regret asking this,” Spike muttered under his breath. “What are you up to, Kichiro?”
“Since you’re so eager,” Kichiro started. “I thought I might kill time by checking out some of these books and find out what secrets your home has to offer. I have to admit, I was amazed to discover that you also read and write Vulpusian. Oddly convenient.”
“Read and write what?” Spike asked, unsure if he heard him correctly.
“Our native tongue,” Kichiro clarified. “I thought I was going to have difficulty learning a new language and then translating it to ours. But it looks like that’s not the case. Your native language is actually very similar to our own, save for a few strange phrases and subpar puns.”
“Really? I mean, I know most creatures here can understand Ponish. But you guys are clearly not from around here,” Spike pointed out.
“Not sure if we’re just easily adaptable or your pony overlords have secretly snuck into our country, got inspired by our culture, and practically stole our language.”
“I doubt that Celestia and Luna would do that. Anyway, I never really took you for a bookworm, Kichiro.”
“Why not? You think I’m all about theft and silly games and dead birds?”
Spike stood there in silence as he tried to pick out his next words carefully. What he said was spot on, but he felt afraid of what would happen if he actually told him the truth. Spike quickly dashed those small fears aside, since deep down he knows that he’s dealt with worse situations.
“Uh,” Spike muttered.
“Well, you’re right!” Kichiro chuckled. “For the most part. But you really shouldn’t assume such things, even if eighty-nine percent of what you see are correct to your accusations.”
“Weird number to go off on,” Spike noted.
“Right now I’m just amazed that you have a library that’s bigger than the one we had.”
Spike paused his next thoughts upon hearing that. What did he just say?
“Wait, you have a library back at home?” Spike wondered.
“Well, had. What with our home being GONE and all.”
“Oh yeah, sorry,” Spike said as he rubbed the back of his head.
“Still. I remember the good old days. I used to spend hours in mother and fathers library, stacking my plate with books and consuming the words off the pages and into my head, my brain slowly digesting the knowledge until I became full,” Kichiro recalled.
“Was that metaphorically or literally?” Spike asked.
"Pick one," Kichiro replied.
Spike shook his head and ignored his last remark.
“Then there were days where mother had to kick me out of the library,” Kichiro continued.
“Because you were spending so much time inside reading books and she wanted you to make friends?” Spike wondered.
“Pfff! No!” Kichiro laughed. “Because I was learning too many new and destructive tricks to play on my neighbors!”
Spike stared blankly. In hindsight, he should’ve expected that kind of response from Kichiro.
“I learn ONE new spell to make it appear as though undead skeletons have invaded the village and everybody treats it like the end of the universe is upon them. Big babies. Don’t even get me started on the cruel and strange punishment mom put me through. Ugh!”
“Please tell me you’re not going to do that here,” Spike pleaded.
“Oh, tiny dragon. If I was going to do that, I would've done so already. And you’d probably pissing your scales with your arms clung around the horn of your dear Twilight. Although, I can make that happen if you love her head spear so much. No judgment.”
Spike had no idea how to respond. He merely stood there with his head tilted and his left eye twitching. His mind grew more blank the more she gazed into Kichiro’s eyes and big, toothy smile. He could’ve sworn he was staring at a second Discord in front of him, he was too afraid to ask, not knowing which answer would be worse. The three-tailed fox extended his arm and planted his paw on the tip of Spike’s snout.
“You have such a small face lump,” Kichiro chirped.
Spike flinched, “I’m...I’m gonna go now.”
“Ok, nice chatting with you,” Kichiro smiled as he waved goodbye.
Spike left the library with unwanted thoughts as Kichiro continued with his reading. He flipped through more pages and read the passages that caught his interest.
“Oh, I could make good use of these spells,” Kichiro said as he read.
Elsewhere, Emi was at the Carousel Boutique assisting Rarity with a new dress, mainly with gathering supplies. The tiny fox was gathering as many spare ribbons as she could find. She dragged a big pile of tied of ribbons with her jaw and placed them all onto Rarity’s bed. The pile of ribbons was placed next to a stack of small and colorful buttons that Emi has managed to salvage from within the drawers. Emi leaped onto the bed and began to rummage through the pile she created. While that was going on, Rarity was putting the finishing touches on one of the dresses she was making for her current client.
“And done!”
Rarity turned around and was met with the sight of Emi rolling herself into a wrap made out of the ribbons she found. She squeaked with every roll and with every new ribbon that was wrapped around her. Rarity covered her mouth at the sight.
“What are you doing?” Rarity asked.
“Having fun!” Emi chirped as she continued to roll around in the mess of ribbons and fabric.
Rarity giggled, she was amazed at how such a creature could be easily impressed by the smallest things. Then again, she was friends with Pinkie Pie. She lowered her gaze and noticed the pile of buttons that were toppled over on her bed.
“Emi, I understand why you like the ribbons, but why did you put together a pile of my spare buttons?” she asked.
“Because they’re pretty!” Emi answered as she unraveled from her ribbon cocoon.
She picked up a bright, blue button with her paw and held it close to her eye.
“They’re small but they stand out like fireflies. They hold stuff together, they go with any type of clothing, and when I press on them nothing bad happens! Not like those other buttons. They just make loud noises.”
“Yes, well, every piece of the dress has a role to play, no matter how small they are,” Rarity replied with a smile.
“Plus, look at what I can do with them!”
Emi took two random buttons from the pile, closed her eyes, and placed them over her eyelids. Rarity let out another muffled laugh when Emi put on her button eyes.
“Grrr, I’m a possessed doll! I will come to life when you’re not looking! Specifically when you turn your head to see if there’s anybody behind you! I’ll haunt your dreams and eat your babies! Mwahahaha!” Emi joked.
Rarity was speechless. She honestly did not know how to react to such a display, she could only stand there.
“Quite the imagination you have there,” Rarity said, deadpanned.
“Aww, thank you,” Emi replied, she shook her head and knocked the buttons off. “I still can’t believe we’ll be meeting your rulers next week!"
“I know, it’s so soon too,” Rarity replied, happily. “But I’m not complaining. I always enjoy our visits with the princesses. The radiance, the elegance, the royalty.”
“Is she nice? Do you think she’ll like us?” Emi wondered.
“Oh absolutely, darling. It’s not every day you get to meet a new species from a faraway land,” Rarity assured. “And I don’t see how anypony could despise such a fluffy face like THIS.”
Rarity pressed her hooves against Emi’s face and ruffled her fur around. She cooed as she scratched Emi’s face with delight. Soft and faint giggles escaped Emi’s muzzle as Rarity went for the back of her ears.
“Help, I’m being attacked!” Emi giggled.
Rarity laughed and stepped back, the fur on Emi’s face was all ruffled up but it didn’t take long for it to return to normal. One quick shake of the head and Emi’s fur retained it’s normal, soft look. As Emi fixed her fur, a sudden thought popped into Rarity’s head. Something that she had been secretly wondering about ever since she met Emi. She figured now would be a good time to ask her.
“Emi. There’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Rarity began.
“Yes?” Emi replied.
“What’s home like?”
Emi sat on Rarity’s bed in silence but the smile never left her face. Instead, it merely shrunk in size.
“Huh?”
“It’s just that you‘ve been here in Ponyville for a while and I still don’t know that much about you. And you’ll be meeting Princess Celestia and Luna soon and I’m sure they’ll want to know where you came from,” Rarity reasoned.
Emi’s ear twitched in confusion on her small smile shifted into a neutral frown, unsure what Rarity was talking about. Luckily, it didn’t take long for her to figure out as her big smile soon re-appeared across her face.
“Oooohhh! Why didn’t you say so?” Emi exclaimed. “Yeah, I can tell you stuff about home.”
“Really? That would be helpful in getting to know you better,” Rarity replied. “Of course, you don’t have to explain every detail if you feel as if it’s more comfort-”
“We lived in a pretty village!” Emi interrupted.
“Oh, really?” Rarity asked a little cut-off.
“Yeah! Our village was small, but it had big spirit! There were bright skies, falling flower petals, rivers with tasty water, and each fox had a HUGE home to live in! There were even arcades where some kits and I liked to hang out. We’d spent hours on a single game trying to reach the top score, but it never happened. Those dumb ghosts kept getting in the way.”
“I see,” Rarity said.
Her eyes were widened and her smile shone with curiosity. She was starting to feel like Twilight as she absorbed the information Emi was spewing.
“And we lived in the most BEAUTIFUL home! It was big and shiny and taller than a...than a normal home. Like two homes stacked on top of each other, but not really. Mom and dad gave me my own room filled with the softest plushies in the whole world! I had a crane, a monkey, and a husky! Those three were my favorite,” Emi explained, excitedly.
“Fascinating,” Rarity said.
“Oh! You should come and visit!” Emi exclaimed.
Rarity blinked and was taken back by this. Did she just say visit her home?
“What do you mean ‘visit?’”
“Exactly what it sounds like! When this vacation is over, I can take you to see my home! And Spike can come too! And Twilight, and Sweetie Belle, and...the other ponies whose names I can’t remember at the moment.”
Now Rarity was even more confused. Her head tilted and she gazed at Emi’s innocent smile and bright eyes. She could’ve sworn she heard Ryota say that their home was gone. Not to mention the sad look Emi was giving when they first met. Perhaps she misheard something.
“Emi,” Rarity started, trying to come up with the right words to ask her. “If my memory serves me correctly, Ryota mentioned that...the main reason you’re here is to find a new home.”
“What do you mean?” Emi asked, still wearing her innocent smile.
“It’s just that,” Rarity muttered as she bit the tip of her hoof. “I was under the impression that you were here to stay. Why would your brother say that if it wasn’t true?”
Emi’s eyes lit up.
“Oh, that’s just a cover-up,” Emi giggled.
The young fashionista became even more confused, so many questions swimming in her mind.
“Cover-up?”
“Yeah. There was a little ‘accident’ at home. Mom and Dad sent us on this vacation while they fix up the house. But that’s obviously a white lie they created to keep us from finding out the truth. They’re actually just remodeling the house! So that when we go back, they can surprise us! But I know Ryota knows something about the new house, but he won’t tell me.”
The room was silent, Rarity didn’t know how to respond to that. She couldn’t tell if she was lying or blissfully unaware of something. Either way, she could feel her eyes becoming heavy.
“But what about the day we first met? You looked very sad when I first asked you about your home,” Rarity wondered.
“Oh, that? I was just homesick,” Emi replied. “No big deal, it happens to everybody.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Rarity said.
Her head was aching with doubt while her heart was sorrowfully beating. She wasn’t sure what to feel in front of Emi now, all she could do was gaze down at the kits cheery smile. The tiny kit rummaged through her ribbon pile and picked up a single button, and plopped it in her mouth.
“Nom.”
Fire rose in the fields behind Twilight’s castle. Reiko had set another log ablaze with her magic. She growled up a storm and smoke seethed out of her muzzle, nearly filling the air above her head. The fur on her back was on the verge of sticking up by itself. Starlight Glimmer stood a good five feet away from her, eyeing her, making sure she doesn’t blow herself up.
“And the worst part is, she treats it as though I’M the bad guy! I was just trying to find a decent meal, but then SHE comes along and basically says, ‘no! You can’t eat this bunny because it’s too cute and precious,’ ugh! Who even does that!” Reiko raged.
Starlight Glimmer slowly scooted towards the fiery fox and had her extinguisher spell ready.
“Did you antagonize the hare?” Starlight asked.
“NO! Weren’t you listening?! I just wanted to eat him!”
Without warning, her five tails flickered together, her eyes lit up, and an orange-red beam shot out of her jaw. The beam made contact with a nearby boulder and obliterated it upon contact, tiny fiery bits of rock flew everywhere. Starlight quickly activated her shield spell to block the oncoming debris.
“And now, I’m stuck with THIS,” Reiko held out an apple and took a big chunk out of it. “Not terrible, but not enough!”
She tossed the rest of the apple in her mouth and swallowed. After that, she grumbly paced around and waited for the apples juices to calm her down.
“Have you tried hunting further into the forest? I’m sure there’s plenty of animals you can hunt there,” Starlight suggested.
“But what if they all go running to their mama bird pony for protection?” Reiko retorted.
“I doubt that will happen. The Everfree Forest is a whole lot bigger than what most creatures believe. Some of them have never even met Fluttershy before. But knowing her, she can befriend any living creature,” Starlight explained. “All you would have to do is to hunt in the areas where Fluttershy won’t spot you or create a tight spot where the animals can’t escape.”
“Huh, I never thought of that,” Reiko said. “You sure know how to strategize and come up with traps.”
“Hehehe, yeah. I guess it’s just something I’m naturally good at,” Starlight nervously chuckled.
She didn’t like to be reminded of her own devious deeds from the past, she felt glad that Reiko hasn’t found out about it.
“Ok, then,” Reiko said, eyeing her.
“If you want, I can show you some areas that I think would make great hunting spots,” Starlight offered.
“Thanks, but Flutter-floof is already making me go with her to a river to hunt for some fish.”
“You can do both. Or I could even talk to her if you want. I don’t see any reason why you can’t double your food source.”
Reiko sighed and stared at the ground, “I’m not just mad about not catching my prey.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Those eyes. Those big, bright, creepy, unexpectedly sharp eyes. They were like tiny spears piercing into soul and mind.”
Reiko shivered at the memory of Fluttershy’s eyes. A burning shame formed within her chest, she gripped it tightly with her paw and grumbled.
“Oh, you mean Fluttershy’s stare? I still can’t believe she used that on you.”
“I don’t get it!”
Reiko stomped on the ground and fire erupted out of her back and into the air.
“How is it that a single stare was able to paralyze me?!”
“That’s the stare for you. I’ve never experienced it myself, but I don’t need to, given the reaction your having,” Starlight shuttered.
“I’ve taken down monsters double my size and incinerated packs of creatures on my own. And yet, two evil eyes is what got me stumped? How does that even happen?”
Starlight raised a brow.
“Monsters? Packs of creatures?”
“Oh yeah, back in New Shrine I used to hunt all kind of monsters. Sometimes for food but mainly out of self-defense,” Reiko snickered.
“What’s New Shrine?” Starlight asked.
“Oh sorry, that’s the name of the village we used to live in,” Reiko clarified.
“Gotcha.”
“I remember the days I would head into the misty forest to hunt for squirrels or the occasional forest goat. A horde of ghouls would show up and try to devour me. But I never made it easy for them, I would incinerate those losers and send them back to the dirt. They never got a chance to sink their teeth in me.”
Reiko fired another beam and destroyed an empty crate. The falling, flaming pieces of wood scattered everywhere. Reiko sighed as she was reminiscing the fond memory as the flaming debris continued to fall. Starlight quickly extinguished them.
“Were monsters like that common in your village?” Starlight asked.
“Oh yeah, they were everywhere. We had giant ogres that could smash mountains, tanuki’s that lived in the trees, most likely stolen from the squirrels and owls, and ugly turtle creatures who would always hog the rivers for their parties and baths. Most of the time these creatures would stay out of our village. Because we made it clear we were not to be messed with. Never grab a kitsune by their tails!”
Reiko tilted her head back and fired another flaming beam. This time, it was shot up directly into the sky and not aimed at anything in particular. Starlight didn’t hesitate to form a mage dome over herself and Reiko as the flares from the beam descended down onto them.
“You can handle all those creatures but not a single stare?” Starlight remarked.
“Don’t remind me,” Reiko growled.
Starlight released her dome and quickly put out any leftover fires on the grass. Fortunate for her, they weren’t very big and there wasn’t a whole lot of them.
“I’ll still talk to Fluttershy to see if I can convince her to let you hunt,” Starlight said. “If that will make you feel better.”
“Thanks,” Reiko muttered.
Starlight and Reiko began to clean up the mess behind the castle. In her head, Reiko was counting how many seconds it would take this time for ponies to notice. However, that wasn’t her main thought. The only other thing on her mind at the moment was the meeting of the two princesses. Everything was happening all too fast. It was only a matter of time until she met the true rulers of the kingdom….