North To The Unknown
I woke up to the sound of Flare playing the ukulele. Really well. The kid was a prodigy. He was literally fingerpicking two different tunes to the same song, strumming a chord every once in a while. I couldn't even begin to describe how good he was. Take every ukulele song you've ever heard and throw it out the window. Heck, take this description and throw it out the window. If he played any better, the ukulele would burst into flames.
...
Speak of the devil.
"Uh, Flare, is that ukulele supposed to be on fire?"
He turned towards me, smiling.
"Don't worry about it, it's fireproof. It'll burn without burning up. I was doing it for quite a bit more a bit earlier. And before you ask, I dunno how I do it. It just comes naturally."
I looked the small dragon over. It was a picture of adorability, him smiling, holding the now only slightly smoking ukulele and playing. My heart threatened to explode. He finally finished playing and stood up. Stupid as I was, I took that moment to look out at the horizon, and when I returned my gaze to him, the uke was already gone.
'You gotta learn how to do that.', remarked Thunderhilt.
I disregarded his statement and held out a wing to Flare.
"You coming up?"
He scrambled up my feathers and took his place on my back.
"Okay, I'm going to try a spell. Don't freak out or anything like that."
I pulled out Thunderhilt and started concentrating on what I wanted. Releasing the magic, I obtained a perfect result.
Or so I thought.
As I looked down at myself, nothing had changed. Flare tapped my shoulder.
"Uhh, Truenis?"
I swiveled my head and let out a surprised yelp. His head was missing. I sighed dejectedly.
"Ah, well. Practice makes perfect."
I uncast the spell and his head came back into existence.
"Well, the invisibility spell didn't work out too well."
I spread my two front wings and lifted off. One of the advantages of having four wings was the ability to use one pair at a time perfectly, only using all four for extra speed, lift or maneuverability. Eventually, I reached a good altitude and grabbed a cloud for cover, holding it below me with a hole through it so I could see. The scenery was amazing. Mostly desert, but patches of green and blue, defining an oasis, and the yellow of a savannah. After a few minutes of flying, a village came into view. I slowed down. Reaching for Thunderhilt, I tried the invisibility spell once more. Yet again, it failed, making our bodies be distorted.
"Wow, refracting light using air is harder than it would seem. But I can do it. Heck, I did it once without even noticing it."
I decided to try again later and brought the cloud down lower. I was curious about the village. Simple mud huts near an oasis. As suspected, zebras. Many of them with rings on their legs or necks. A few had spears. Small children ran about, indulging in one of the mysterious games of childhood. A mare was weaving a cloth under the shade of a grass roof, while nearby an older mare stirred a glowing pot. It was a happy village, that I could tell. My attention was drawn by a few wagons up ahead.
"Flare, analysis.", I whispered.
"Travellers, maybe merchants. Faint chance of disguised robbers, yet improbable."
"And I think I can assume that there's a high chance of them cheating the zebras."
"What?"
"It's a simple con. The zebras make things that are very valuable. I know that firsthand. Thunderhilt is a high-class weapon. All the merchants have to do is go in, say some cheap baubles and trinkets are worth a ton, and clean up."
"Possible. Let's check it out."
Slowly, so as to not attract attention, we moved towards the caravan. I saw a zebra conversing with another equine, a brown one with a black mane. As we got closer, I also saw that the other equine had a sleazy look in his eyes. I could see a bonafide trickster in that face. I finally approached enough to hear the conversation.
"...And so, we would like to exchange some valuable beads for a few of your potions."
I lightly snorted. Before I made myself known, I sneaked over towards the back of the caravan. Luckily, no one was looking up, and so they didn't see a very conspicuous cloud. I saw two other equines talking.
"I just don't really think it's right. We're tricking these nice zebras. The things we're trading aren't worth a hundreth of the value of one of their potions.", said a startlingly yellow one to the other.
"Hey, just shut up. The zebras want the beads, we want the potions. We both benefit, both ponies and zebras.", said the second, green one.
'So they're ponies. What's with their colors?'
"It's just that we're cheating."
"Aw, give it a break. Your help is replaceable. Bring your complaints to the boss."
'Can I shock him?', pleaded Thunderhilt.
'Maybe later.'
'Yay!'
I moved back towards where the zebra and the other pony were still talking. The pony had a circlet of beads held in his hoof... somehow.
"This is worth an incredible amount in Equestria!"
The zebra examined it with a scrutinous eye.
"Is this true? Then why would you want to trade it?"
The pony's eyes shifted a bit before he spoke again.
"Well, uh, we've got so many that we don't know what to do with them. And we've got a little shortage on potions."
"You are sure these are valuable?"
"If they're not, may lightning strike me this instant."
I grinned maliciously.
KRAKOW!
'Low voltage bolt. Easy spell.'
The stallion swayed, his brown coat singed and his mane and tail spiky.
"Ma, the lightnin' bugs are attackin' again. Git the bug spray.", he enunciated shakily.
I decided it was time to make an entrance. The cloud I was on turned dark grey and started swirling and crackling. It lowered until I was in full view, standing with a look that would kill Medusa. Attention was immediately on me. I addressed the cheat in a forceful voice.
"Why do you cheat these kind zebras? What is the reason for this deceit."
For some reason, I decided to also use my 'noble' tone, the one I used when roleplaying on a computer game. Hey, some of us actually like using our imaginations and doing that. Don't judge me.
'Wow, way to pour on the superiority.'
'Shut up, Sparky.'
The stallion's eyes stopped swirling and he looked at me with no small amount of fear.
"Ch-cheating? What do you mean?"
I scowled even further at the slightly quivering pony.
"Your lies fool me not. The truth. Now."
"Uh, well, um."
The stallion stuttered incomprehensibly.
'This guy is pathetic. We didn't even have to use the fear spell.'
"STOP SNIVELING!"
He curled up into a fetal position and put his front legs over his eyes.
"I'm sorry! I'm a dirty louse! It's what I do for a living! The beads are worthless! We cheat them for money! Their potions are so valuable!"
'Dang. I'm not really that scary, am I?'
'Uh, chief. You descended on a black menacing stormcloud with a dragon on your back wielding a giant weapon coursing with electricity with a look capable of frying eggs. How are you not scary?'
"Quiet. Your greed dug you into this hole. For mere money, you decided to cheat a happy village. Your punishment is fear. As will it be to those who share your greed."
I channeled magic through Thunderhilt.
"Timore pro cupiditas!"
A wave of magic spread out towards the caravan. To my surprise, no screams were heard. I looked towards the "Boss". He was rocking himself slowly, pupils shrunken to pinpricks, as he whimpered and sucked on his hoof. Nodding my head in satisfaction, I dropped the dominant act and stepped onto the ground. Several zebras were watching. I spoke to them in Zebrican.
"Apologies for that display. I am Truenis of the ventolians. My companion is Flare, the dragon."
Most of the striped people were unmoving and jaw-dropped. I saw a fly go in the mouth of one and three flies come out of the mouth of another.
'That was weird', remarked Thunderhilt.
Finally, the male zebra who had been dealing with the traders got over his stupor.
"Greetings. I am Zimbala, the patriarch of this village. It is an honor to have you here."
"I fear I can not stay long, but from what I have seen, I am greatly pleased at your village. It positively radiates happiness. Though your taste in trading partners could use a little adjustment. And don't worry about them, they won't be too severely traumatized. In case of this happening again, you should have someone who knows how valuable an object is. Such as the pony who is hiding behind that wagon."
I switched back to normal dialogue.
"I know that you're behind there. Yellow pony, red mane. Picture of a scale on your flanks. I'm not gonna hurt you."
The yellow face of the pony in question appeared from behind the wagon. He was clearly freaked out, but still managed to walk over, though trembling.
"What is your name?"
"Strawberry Cheese, sir."
I managed to keep my laughter contained. Thunderhilt didn't, and exploded into laughter into my head.
"You don't need to call me sir. Now, Mr. Cheese, I overheard your discussion with the other pony back there and I offer you a proposition. Would you like to stay here with these zebras and help them in trading ventures?"
He seemed surprised at that.
"You're not going to eat me?"
I broke out into chuckles.
"Oh, heavens no. I might eat meat once in a while but I'm not going to eat you. Mostly just fish, or some other non-sentient around there. I'm not just a cruel beast, as you might have gathered from that act. That was just to give the greedy others a lesson. Well, would you like to stay?"
"Well, I suppose so. It's a more honest career than trading with those others."
I smiled.
"That's good. Do you approve of this, Zimbala?"
"It seems well to me. Thank you for your assistance, heavenly winged one."
"It was no trouble. Make sure the quivering wrecks get sent on their way. I must go now. Farewell."
I spread my four wings and took off. Once we had left the village behind, Flare tapped my shoulder.
"What was up with that back there? You were a different guy."
"That was a little something called role-playing. It's basically acting different depending on the situation you are in. I acted a bit more... like a guy who you don't want to fool around with."
"I kinda noticed. Maybe it was the thundercloud or perhaps it was the cockatrice glare."
"The thing is, ever since I came here, I've been reformatting my personality. I used to be sarcastic, casual, and a slight bit meek, but that all changed."
"Why?"
I took a deep breath and started telling him about the facts of my past. I had been a different creature on a different world, an orphan constantly being harassed whenever possible. That made me hate those who took advantage of others. I also told him how I was a wimp before.
"Pretty big change, eh? Punching bag one day, dragon-slayer the next. Harmony was making my life a living Tartarus. Chaos made it a dream come true. A violent dream, but still, it's better than what I used to have."
"What was your other form like?"
"Weak, principally. All humans were weak compared to beasts. Even the most dedicated of body-builders didn't get extremely strong. And chances of survival against a dragon would be close to nothing. Good thing they didn't exist. Anyways, a human is sort of a hairless, tailless, tall monkey. The skin color ranges from near white to pink to golden brown to black. The hair that stands out the most only grows on the top of the head and with males, on the face. Other hair grows everywhere else, but it doesn't get very long, except in some cases under the armpits or a bit shorter on the chest of some males. Humans aren't very strong or fast, so they make up for it by being smart, intelligent, inventive, sneaky, precise and tricky. You name it, we know about it and probably have 15 different ways to use it, except for some of the harder things like dimensional travel, immortality, and extended space travel. Using our brains, we've come up with devastating weapons, and before those were invented, people fought with swords and with martial arts techniques that used the full potential of the body easily. The problem is that the planet is slowly dying of pollution and because we take it's resources, and next to noone cares. And a lot of people are cruel. Sure, about a third are good people, but then there are those who just don't care and the most abundant, the people who are just bad. Bullies, murderers, rapists, some lawyers, terrorists, politicians... the list goes on. It's mostly a dog-eat-dog world, and those who want to go up must push the others down."
"Doesn't sound like humans are the best creatures."
"No kiddin'. And we're pretty darn chaotic, too. Some of the things I've seen blow your mind... twice. Don't ask."
At this point we were flying over the ocean. I tucked in my wings and hurtled towards the water before pulling up, a very nice fish in my talons.
"Warn me before you do that!", shouted Flare.
"Sorry. Want some?"
"Uh, sure."
I cut him a fillet of the meat and handed it back, slipping the rest into my own beak.
"That was kinda gross, and kinda weird."
That being said, he roasted his fillet on his purple fire-breath and gulped it down.
"Mmm... Fish."
At that point, a thought entered my mind.
'How fast can I really go?'
'Thunderhilt, that's just weird. Referring to me as you? Weird. But, you have an idea there.'
"Okay Flare, I'm going to speed up a touch. Grab hold tight."
He grabbed my feathers, causing me to squawk.
"Oi! Careful where you grab!"
He chuckled feebly and grabbed the purple dragonskin belt. I spread all my wings and started flapping. Almost instantly, I was zooming across the air.
'And I'm barely trying here!'
I used the knowledge implanted into my brain to speed up even more. Soon, despite going horizontally, I could see a mach cone in front of me.
"I shouldn't be able to survive this, but it's a cartoon! Throw logic out the window!"
I slashed in front of me and the cone exploded. Looking behind me I could see a white circle expand from where I did it. Yet still I managed to speed up. In a couple minutes, I could see a more bluish cone starting to form around me. My eyes widened.
'Mach 2!'
I strove to break through that barrier, but it was tough. In one last-ditch effort, I lunged forward, intent on breaking it. The effect was immediate. I literally bounced off. Hard.
"My face!", I shouted.
Flare was a bit loopy, eyes spinning.
"Did anyone get the number on that wagon?"
"Yes, it was M2AKATHEWALL. Ooh, I got a headache."
I managed to continue flying till we sighted land.
"Well, I almost can't believe we got here so quick. Though the increased speeds might have had something to do with it. Obviously, we're not at the Zebrican isles. You know, this is changing the subject, but I would really want a newspaper right now, to see what's going on."
My eyes nearly popped out of their orbits when Flare put a newspaper, today's date, in front of my line of vision.
"Bu-How!? Wha-? Buh! Huh?!"
He shrugged and headed back to his regular seat. My mind took a couple minutes to reassemble itself enough for a conscious thought, which was: 'Cartoon logic, no explanation needed.' After that, I recovered quickly, but still took a few backward glances at the dragon.
"Grand Galloping Gala Becomes Disaster!
The Grand Galloping Gala of this year was inarguably the most chaotic gala in the history of Equestria. Captain Griffin of the Griffin Pirates was present along with his crew, making uncivilized music along with a new companion of Celestia's: A changeling! Also present at the gala was a strange bear-like creature, as well as a wolf and his two diamond-dog companions. This combination put the gala into an uproarious state resembling a bad-quality bar. An even more shocking revelation was that joining in were 90% of the nobles and even the two Princesses! And as if that wasn't bad enough, danger soon struck! A female, wingless, powerful black dragon broke in and severely injured Princess Luna, followed by the release of the creatures of the royal menagerie and a startling return of the Nightmare, though instead of taking form as Nightmare Moon, it was reincarnated as Nightmare Octave, possessing the refined Octavia and bringing destruction to the area. Fortunately, Griffin the Griffin and several others, including Aoi the wolf, Eol and Ubi the diamond-dogs and Knightmare(who struck the key blow against the Nightmare) managed to deal with the threat, though at great cost to the health of many."
I momentarily stopped reading.
"Shocking news, eh, Flare?"
"Yup."
"Judging by the fact that there are other humans in Equestria in various forms, and that humans would grab attention, I would guess that a few of those present were once humans. Griffin is pretty much definitive, Knightmare is extremely probable, Aoi is a Japanese name, I believe, so that would make him one too, there's a slight chance of that bear thing being one and possibly, the other two d-dogs Eol and Ubi are humans, but I'm not too sure about that. Since nobody else managed to stand out enough to get named in the paper, I would think that that would be it. Ooh, here's a nice little article.
Startling Discovery! Princess Celestia Gets Drunk!
Sometime during the gala, it was discovered that Princess Celestia had consumed enough alcohol to actually get her intoxicated, due to drinking 'Royal Pinks', a concoction made by party pony Pinkie-Pie, Element of Laughter and hyperactive resident of Ponyville."
I smirked and handed the paper to Flare.
"Keep this around, it might be handy to have if we ever need to blackmail her. Though it might be improbable seeing as how everyone already knows. Ah well, be good to troll her if we ever wanted to."
"Troll?"
"Tease, annoy, make fun of, laugh at, get x effect out of y person for the giggles. Easy to do in letters or something similar, very funny to do. So where are we at the moment?"
When I looked back at him he had gotten a map out of nowhere and the newspaper was nowhere to be found.
"I think we're in the Southern Rainforest, also known as the Feline Jungle."
"Okay, sounds like a living death-trap. Diseases, wildlife, whatever. Let's go inside."
"Adventure!" He made muscles with his arms and yelled out: "YEEEEAH!!!"
Chapter 10 is done. Isn't Flare just adorably awesome? If you don't agree, you might as well kill yourself now. I know the prime sight where you surf.... Anyways, thanks for reading, and keep your stick on the ice!