//------------------------------// // Chitter and Midnight: Path to the Sunset Orb // Story: From Under the Love Seat // by Lightstruck //------------------------------// Stripe scurries down the hall of his new home trying to outrun his owner. If he can only make it to his cage he’d be in the clear. He dodges through the stretchy play tube to throw off his follower. There it is! At last, he found the cage, now all he has to do is get to it. Hooves graze his side as he dodges to the right. He leaps in the door as the equine-esque skids to a halt. “Play, please?” Chitter begs his ferret. Stripe climbs into his covered hammock refusing to come out. “Stripe?” “Sweetheart, ferrets like the night more than the day. But as he gets older he’ll learn what goes on here.” Mom walks to the cage, closes, and locks it. “Now how about we go to dinner?” “We going to Midi house?” Willow smiles and nods, “Yep and I heard they’re going to have a cookout.” Chitter paws at the cage some more trying to get the critter to play with him. “Come on sweetie, we need to get ready to go.” “Ok. Bye Stripe.” Chit follows mom as she picks up a few items they might need and gathers the food they are bringing. “Why now?” “Midnight’s father wants you two to play.” Willow leaves out that it’s about showing he could accept the Changeling. “They even made a special dessert from their hometown.” “Yummy.” “Go ask daddy if he’s ready, Chit.” “Ok momma!” Chit skips off to find his dad. It didn’t take long as he was still the last place he remembered. “HNNNNNN, come on you stupid thing!” Thud. Shield lie on his back with a few boards lying over and around him. “You ok Daddy?” “I’m fine buddy, just a few… uh, technical difficulties.” He didn’t quite know what that meant but dad said he was ok. “Momma ask if ready.” Dad pushes the wood off and rolls over. “Yeah, I’ll finish this when we get back.” He kicks one of the loose boards with a huff. “Let’s go.” Chitter practically prances to the front door. “Hurry, go see Midi!” “We will get there when we get there. Calm down and wait.” Dad says as all dads do. Chitter trots in place by the door, ‘But I want to play now!’ “Hon, you got everything? Need any help?” “Nah, I got it.” “Alright, well let’s go.” They leave the house locking the door behind themselves. Chitter, ever the energetic foal, bounces around his parents on the walk to his friend’s house. Shield sighs just a bit; he is, to this day, ecstatic they have a foal. It’s just the questions that do him in. “Why? What’s that? Who’s that? Why? How come? Why? Please? Why? Why?” Sometimes Shield feels as though he has heard enough whys to never answer another question in his life. But this is the exact thing the both of them have wanted for a long time, so he just deals with it. Willow on the other hoof, has worked with foals since leaving med school. Questions were nothing new, and it filled her with joy to keep him learning at all times. Sometimes it did become a little much but that is fixed by passing him off to her spouse. Chitter loves his parents, as best a changeling can. Something about him was broken but he didn’t care. He never needed, or was starved, and had a home with a caring family. ‘Silk doesn’t have a family and was sad.’ Slick hadn’t been at school since the meeting and Chit was wondering if he was ok. He got to talk to Midnight during lunch and recess, but the others at his table ignored him. He missed his new friend and hoped to see him soon. Chitter perked up at the smell drifting in the breeze. “Mmmm, smell good.” “It does and I believe that signals we’re getting close.” The family stops at the home the letter indicated. A standard house with thatch roofing the same as their own stood before them. The flower pots were empty, and the lawn hadn’t been cut in a while. “Seems ominous…” Shield mutters. “Maybe we have the wrong house?” Willow spreads her wings, “I'm going to take a look around.” The door opens before she can take off. “Hey, you guys made it!” Sharp Point steps back, “Come in, come in! I just finished mowing the backyard where Planter is. Midnight is finishing up in her tree house.” “You’re letting her build?! She’s only 5 or so!” Willow exclaims completely baffled. He laughs it off, “No, she’s not ready for tools yet, besides she likes being pretty. The tree house was here when we bought the house, it’s really strong too. Mini’s just putting in small furniture for her clubhouse. Now before I give the tour how about Chitter there goes to play?” “Can I momma?” Eyes sparkling with hope. “You can, BUT, you cannot leave the yard or house.” “Okay!” He starts to run out the door leading outback. “Woah, hold on there little fella. When you go out there I need you to say ‘Mrs. Planter I’m here.’ Ok?” “Uh huh!” He runs outside to the sizable yard. “Mrs, Planter I’m here!” She jumps, “Oh it’s just you. You startled me.” “Where Midi?” “Mini is over in her tree house. Play nice you two.” “Ok!” Chit skips over to the big tree with a house in it. “Midi!” “Itter?” She pokes her head put of a window. “Hi!” “Hi! Can I come in?” “Yeah, come on!” “Ok!” He climbs the wooden ramps to the door. “What you doing?” Midnight looks up from the table she’s moving. “I want to make pretty.” “Oh.” He didn’t have a response to that. She moves the small table under the window, followed by the chairs. Chitter just helps as he can, where she directs. After a time they finish moving the small items. “Nice.” “Yeah, now we find treasure for table.” “Treasure?” “Uh huh! It in temple, like Daring Doo!” “Ok! How we get?” She tosses him a pith helmet, “We go get it.” Putting on her own helmet she leads him outside the clubhouse. “Come this way.” “Ok.” He follows her through the rolling fields to the edge of a huge wall separating the field from the mysterious jungle. She adjusts her helmet, “How we get over?” Chit glances around spotting an ancient structure to their right. “We climb that.” Mini smiles, “Yeah, good job!” Chitter smiles happily at the compliment, “Let’s go!” “Yeah!” She helps Chitter up onto the slippery structure, then he helps her up. She uses her wings to help them both lift. They both leap to the next platform that leads over the wall. “One.” “Two.” They both cry out, “Three!” They leap over the wall and glide down to the jungle floor. “Wheeeeee!” They land with Mini stumbling slightly, “Wow, tall plants.” Chit gazes up the tall stalks and trunks. Mini takes off her helmet and takes out a map. She and Chit look at the dotted line and figure out their course. “This way!” Mini declares. They struggle their way through the dense jungle till they find the castle like temple in a clearing. “Whoa!” They both exclaim in excitement. Running towards it they stop short of the entrance. “Uh oh.” Mini points to a wire going across the entrance, “Traps. No step on, or no treasure.” They tread carefully over the wire and head to the massive door. “Help up.” “Ok.” Mini climbs on Chitter’s back reaching for the release mechanism. The massive stone slab slides out of the way allowing the two to see deep into the surprisingly well lit structure. “Come on.” Mini waves forward. “I here.” They slowly make their way down the halls of the temple avoiding any traps the may come across. “Quick hide, shhhh.” The pair dive underneath a raised pedestal. “Where did they go? I could have swore I heard them.” The guardian moves on without detecting them. “Scary.” “Yeah, almost there.” The main room was covered in stone tiles that were amazingly clean for such an ancient ruin. Each tile was a slightly different color but all led to the pedestal in the center of the room. Chitter looks to Mini, “Look like trap.” “Yep, go dark pieces.” They each take a line of tiles to cross making step on only the dark ones. Chitter’s hoof grazes one of the light tiles and it crumbles taking some of his unprepared weight with it. “Nooo! I’m falling!” “Itter!” Mini leaps to the nearest dark tiles. “Grab my hoof!” With his remaining hooves struggling to get purchase he reaches for her outstretched hoof. Mini quickly grabs his hoof in hers and helps him get back up on the dark tiles. Chitter pants heavily, “Th-thank you.” “See only dark.” “O-ok.” They continue to traverse the room heading for the pedestal. Not much longer, they reach their goal. “Up?” “Uh huh, help me?” Standing and grabbing the pedestal Chitter stayed still so Mini could climb him. She climbs up, “Ow, wings soft, hurt easy.” “Sorry.” She gets to the top and steps on his head to get high enough to climb on. As she puts her full weight down the light tiles all over the room fall into the awaiting lava. “Be safe!” Mini looks toward the treasure, an offering plate topped with the magical sunset orbs. They are the perfect item for her needs. She approaches her prize but one of the slabs was loose enough to make her lose her footing. She corrects herself but steps on the edge of the offering plate sending the precious orbs careening over the edge. “Noooo!” They watched in horror as all of the orbs either went well out of reach or fell into the holes. Chitter grabs desperately to save at least one but isn’t fast enough. He watches it fall but it stops as a green glow surrounds it. “Itter catch it! Yay!” She doesn’t have time to celebrate as the ground starts to rumble. “Run!” Chitter doesn’t need to be told twice and flees with the sunset orb. Midnight glides down to meet him at entrance to the room. “Oh no, way back gone.” She looks for new routes out. “Follow me!” The two take off down a different path, “There they are!” “Run Itter!” They flee away from the temple guardians all the way back to the field. They scamper up the ramp to their base and slam the door behind themselves. They giggle to themselves as they hear the guardians lose one of their relics. “Hey you two, put that back! You’re going to spoil your dinner!” “Midnight Moon! How many times do I have to tell you, no mangoes till after dinner?!” “We got none!” Chit yells out. Giggling more as he tries to hide their treasure. “Yeah, not here!” They share a laugh and bump hooves. The “fruit” of there effort firmly secured in their fortress.