Twilight let out a sigh while she winked out from her soul sight, but she smiled nonetheless as she looked upon the newest vampony. The bat pony mare laid deathly still on the red velvet bench, but the flurry of activity Twilight and Ruby had seen within revealed a steady transformation underway.
Turning away from the mare, Twilight moved to the opposite end of the room from the door. The airship's wooden conference room held two rows of red cushioned benches along its walls, often the seats for attendees during important discussions, but for now it served for comfortable seclusion for on the fly vamponization. Twilight approached the nearby wooden circular table at the end of the room. Rounding its ornate purple edge, Twilight magically unseated her chair, and she plopped herself down while letting out another sigh.
Come on, we're not that tired.
I know, it's just… a lot's been on our minds.
Ruby sighed. Yeah…
Twilight's eyes passed to the row of benches on the right, where at the center lay the mare, and she found her chest feeling lifted.
At least the first transformation of the trip is going smoothly. With two a day, we'll be more than ready by the time we land and with time to replenish.
Twilight nodded in agreement. Well, at least for now we have a few hours before the next patient, she replied. Turning the chair, she swiveled about face from the table, and looked out from the back of the airship. The tinted glass windows that made the back wall of the room were enchanted to keep the cabin's interior comfortably darkened while yet keeping the view transparently clear.
With the blue sky above, and a sea of trees rapidly flowing away below, Twilight's gaze rested on the distant mountain of Canterlot nearly gone from view. Here at the back of the airship, the whirring of magic and her ship's machinery were but the softest of hums to even Twilight's ears, and so she let herself be lulled by the white noise alongside the scenic view.
Which forest do you suppose this is? Ruby idly pondered.
You know, I'm not exactly sure, Twilight replied as she more comfortably sat herself to soak in the view. But we can check it on the map later.
Agreed, Ruby replied as shifted her focus from within and out to Twilight's eyes, but a thought then passed, and she receded back.
Twilight narrowed her brow in curiosity, but the question upon Ruby's mind was soon in Twilights.
Together, they both sighed, and Twilight asked aloud, "I wonder where he is right now?"
The question soon began to gnaw at their attention, and so with the quiet humming of the airship and only a comatose soon to be vampony as company, Twilight and Ruby let themselves become lost in their memories from months ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A soul flickered before them. It's white spherical shape and labyrinthine connections within were deeply accented by crimson, and the transparent colorless oddities that speckled its structure laid dormant.
At a glance, the soul Twilight and Ruby stared long into was like any other soul of a bat pony who they had turned into a vampony. But with Ruby's careful eye, the irregularities became more apparent.
The marks are so blurred together… I can't even make out the amount of times he's died.
Twilight's brows softened while her open eyes blazed white. How are the patches?
Seamless, just like the others.
That thought brought some solace to Twilight, knowing the dispelled alicorn magic that had resided within the bat ponies would no longer harm them in its resilience, but it was a lonesome solace to the weight of worries still before them.
Hmmrff
What is it?
I was expecting more traces of the vamponizations before ours, but there's hardly a clue of their history. Which wouldn't be troubling if it weren't for the vibrancy of his crimson.
Isn't Ebon Wing like that, too?
Yeah, but even then… There's something off. I can't say with any certainty what changes the vamponization will be for him over time.
Twilight exhaled from her nostrils, and the two dungeon guards standing before her shifted their eyes nervously among one another. With the princess having stood motionlessly before them for the last half hour, the two of them had remained at utter attention despite the complaints of their stiff joints.
Twilight at last closed her white eyes, and with a single breath, revealed her crimson pair. "Open it," she said.
The stallion on the left flinched, but quickly withdrew the metal key hanging from his belt. The mare on the right lit her horn to undo the warding spells, and together they unlocked the iron door. Without a pause Twilight entered the moment it swung inward, and she commanded on her passing, “Close it.”
The scrapping thud as metal rods slid into position and magic enchantments glimmered in their setting were nearly thunderous, but all too soon the jail cell became silent with only Twilight and it's occupant for company.
The white and large square room was a special cell, with each face of the seemingly void-like space being magically lit. It’s soft and enchanted light ensured sleep could still be obtained unbothered, but its design ensured that on no face of the room could darkness ever appear.
Twilight looked down at the bat pony before her. He sat down and hunched forward, bound in a straight jacket that restricted his wings and arms. The sight of him so brought a pained regret deep within Twilight’s chest, but eventually the two of them aligned again, and Twilight spoke, “Hello, Shade Flare.”
Shade Flare lifted his head, and stared intently at the princesses before him with his amber eyes.
Silence passed between them, but eventually Shade Flare asked, “And what have you decided to do with me?”
Twilight blinked at the candidness of the question, but then took a step forward and lit her horn.
“We’ve decided to let you go.” Casting a spell, the binding garment unwound itself from Shade Flare, and threw itself away in a clatter of fabric and metal clasps.
Shade Flare had no expression at first as he opened his wings, flexing them to their length while also extending his forearms, sending a series of cracks through his stiff joints. But soon he looked back up to Twilight, and he narrowed his eyes. “Why he entrusted everything with you, I’m not sure if it’s something I’ll ever truly understand.”
Twilight became still, and the stoic response made Shade Flare at last close his eyes. To Twilight’s surprise, he then asked, “How are the others?”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Twilight replied, “They’re doing well. Mist Hoof is looking forward to seeing you again.”
Shade Flare opened his eyes as he looked downward, and after a few moments, he lifted his gaze back to Twilight. “I won’t be going back. Not yet, at least.”
With a concerned look, Twilight asked, “What do you mean?”
Standing himself, and briefly closing his eyes at feeling the eased posture of standing normally again, he replied, “I plan on travelling.”
“Oh,” Twilight said with a smile. “Well the good news is that it’s your right to visit anywhere in Equestria now. Where do you think you’ll see first?”
“I’m not vacationing,” Shade Flare replied as he turned and stepped away. “I’m… searching for something, and I… I’m not sure what it is yet.”
Twilight’s smile fell as she looked thoughtfully at him. A weight then tugged at her chest as she and Ruby both thought the same thing, and she hesitantly said, “You know… I got a letter from Night Walker… After things ended.” Shade Flare looked back to Twilight, and with a gaze more in interest than scrutiny Twilight noticed. “He didn’t only entrust the future of the bat ponies to me… he also gave it to you.”
Shade Flare’s eyes widen, but they soon became narrow and guarded again. “He… He really wrote that?”
Twilight nodded. Turning to face him square chested, she said, “The bat ponies wouldn’t have gotten to where they are today if it weren’t for you, and they can still use your help.” Tilting her head down somewhat, Twilight added, “Whatever you’re searching for, I’m sure you’ll find it with them.”
Shade Flare shook his head as he moved away, and a troubled look returned to his face. “No, there’s something wrong. What I’m looking for… I think… I think it’s something that’s still coming.”
Twilight’s posture then became rigid, and with swift steps she closed the distance between them. “Shade Flare, what’s wrong?”
He sighed, and looked at her as if her eyes might have the answer. “I’m not sure, but l can tell something is wrong. Until I can figure out what it is, whatever it is, I can't help them.”
Twilight blinked as she stepped away. “Shade Flare, what do you mean? Explain more!”
“I don’t know!” Shade Flare barked while baring his fangs at her. “But I can feel it in my soul, something is wrong, and I need to find out what.”
Twilight narrowed her brow. “And what’re you going to do when you find out what it is?”
Shade Flare leveled his gaze to Twilight’s, and after a few pensive moments of silence, he replied truthfully, “If I can’t deal with it myself, I’ll come back. And… we can deal with it… together.”
Twilight slowly nodded in return, and softened her brows. “Will you at least wait a day? You can eat for as long as you want in the kitchen, and have a good day’s rest in one of the guest chambers.”
Shade Flare looked away at first, but eventually sighed while closing his eyes, and after a few more moments of silence, he finally looked back at her. “That… does sound nice.”
As the remembered day and conversations passed, Twilight’s eyes flickered beneath her closed lids, but her ears soon twitched at the sound of a groan.
Opening her eyes and sitting upright, Twilight turned to her patient, and relaxed as she saw the mare slowly begin to shift about.
With quiet steps, Twilight crossed the cabin space, and resumed her duties.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Breezy Lace gave a sigh at shaking off the morning’s labors, but she smiled nonetheless as she looked upward at nearly noon sun and clear blue day while she carried a red apple. Her slow walk through the Apple’s property and into town was one of the most relaxing morning walks that Breezy Lace could recall.
The thought pondered further in her mind, and she mulled it over while glancing at her apple now and then. Still, she couldn’t help herself but smile she found even after some paces more, and so she took a juicy bite from her apple.
I suppose… This town isn’t too bad, she thought while giving a soft, suppressed laugh. With a few munches more, followed by a gulp, she wiped away the apple’s remnants from her mouth.
“Well then,” she said to herself, and she looked more keenly to the town’s buildings she approached. “Time to see what else is in store for you.” Breezy Lace took on a confident and eager smile, and as her wings began to twitch with excitement, she trotted more swiftly into town.
Passing between two buildings, she looked to and fro from the street. Without the hustle of the extra guard, the town’s residents were now at themselves, and Breezy Lace liked what she saw.
The common space was like a soft murmur that came and went like the breeze. The sound of birds filled the pauses, and the ever so soft but constant trotting on dirt sat low in the background.
It was music to Breezy Lace's ears compared to most of her after work wanders, and after a quick breath, she stepped out onto the street.
Finding her pace among the crowd was easy, and she found herself actually making eye contact at each pony’s passing. Most would give a smile or a nod, and the feeling of returning the same didn't seem to take the extra effort it normally did. Yet, despite the surprises already experienced this morning, the tantalizing smell of something beyond description wafted past her nose, and for the first time since she could recently recall, the tension between Breezy Lace’s shoulders finally relaxed.
After taking a deep breath through her nose, Breezy Lace exhaled and smiled even more so as she trotted towards the smell’s source. Maybe this place is what I need, Breezy Lace thought. That, and whatever this smell is! And she trotted faster.
Winding through the streets of Ponyville was a breeze, and it was all too soon before Breezy Lace found herself in front of a pastry decorated building.
“Of course, sugar sweets,” Breezy Lace said quietly to herself testily, but still she smiled. “Well, I got news for you, sweets,” she said while taking a step forward. “I can eat practically anything now, and you’re delicious calories aren’t going to ruin my figure anymore.” Stomping another larger step forward, she muttered to herself victoriously, “And I only see one sweet store in front of me. Sugar, today, you will-”
“Whatch’a doing?”
Breezy Lace shrunk slightly as she straightened her posture. Swiftly bringing her hoof to her mouth, she gave a few hearty coughs. “Erm, sorry, I just need to clear my throat,” she said respectfully before turning to the pony. But when she fully opened her eyes, she blinked in surprise at the pink pony in front of her stirring a bowl emitting soft light similar to a colored disco ball.
“I-You’re Pinky Pie, right?” Breezy Lace asked while her eyes darted up and down at the face and bowl being stirred.
“That’s me!” Pinkie Pie, replied. “But not with a ‘y’, but an ‘ie’, if you please.”
“Oh, I see,” Breezy Lace replied while blinking off a strange feeling.
“No problem!” Pinkie Pie replied. She flicked her wooden spoon in the air before resuming her stirring of the shimmering batter bowl. “Now you have to answer my question. Watch’a doing?”
“I… I was coming to eat sweets,” Breezy Lacy replied resolutely, though not without a tinge of pink. “I smelt something delicious, and I wanted to eat it.”
“Well you came to the right place!” Pinkie Pie replied.
“Um… excuse me,” Breezy Lace replied.
“Mhmm?”
“How did you know that I was… out here?”
“That’s easy!” Pinkie Pie replied. “A hoof-shimmy tail-twitchy sneeze combo!”
“A… what?”
“Just the universe’s way of telling me when a customer is muttering ominously in front of the store.” Pinkie Pie widened one her eyes as she cocked her head towards Breezy Lace. “You would not believe how many times it took to get that after dealing with a disgruntled pony.”
Breezy Lace had no reply, and before she could fathom one, Pinkie Pie cheerfully returned to her stirring and asked, “So, what tasty store treat can I offer you today?”
“A lot of your store’s goods from yesterday were… definitely delicious looking. But…” Breezy Lace took another whiff, and she looked down at the bowl. “I think this is what I really want.”
Pinkie Pie replied with a smug smile. “Soooooooo, you are interested in it? I knew it!” With a delightful bounce, Pinkie Pie stopped stirring and showed Breezy Lace the bowl's contents.
Looking inside, Breezy Lace saw amongst a batter of dough the sparkling reflection of crushed gems, sprinkling the mix with a rainbow of colors.
“I call this one the Gemloaf!” Pinkie Pie declared. “It will be the most scrumptious gem flavored pastry I’ll have made yet! Wanna’ help me taste test it?”
“Pinkie Pie,” Breezy Lace replied while cracking her neck. “You’ve found the perfect pony for the job.”
While Pinkie Pie clopped her hooves in glee while her cotton candy hair still held and stirred the bowl, Breezy Lace’s attention was caught by the group of ponies beyond Pinkie Pie's shoulder.
“Hey, it’s them,” Breezy Lace said, causing Pinkie Pie to turn and look. “Hey!” Breezy Lace called out, and three heads turned her way.
Rainbow Dash, Sea Drop, and Tailwind came trotting up to the pair, and once met, Rainbow Dash asked, “What are you two up to?”
Breezy Lace Wrapped a hoof around Pinkie Pie who in turn stuck her tongue out. “I’m going to help Pinkie Pie taste test her new treat.”
“Dang, lucky,” Rainbow Dash replied as she found her head leaning forward with each inhale. “You gotta’ let me have the first batch when it’s all ready.”
“You will!” Pinkie Pie replied.
While Sea Drop shared Rainbow Dash's interest in the shimmering bowl Pinkie Pie protectively guarded, Tailwind looked at it skeptically.
"Is food supposed to… emit light like that?"
“This kind does! And I’m making a batch just for all of you!” Pinkie Pie cheered while throwing her arms and the bowl upward. “And for Spike and Dust Cloud,” Pinkie Pie quickly said while scratching her chin, and with mercurial speed, she caught the falling bowl and spoon so as to return stirring where she had left off. “Consider it a congratulations gift for after the Running of the Leaves!”
“The Running of the Leaves?” Breezy Lace asked with a curious eyebrow raise. “What’s that?”
“Yeah, what’s that?” Sea Drop asked.
“UUUUUUAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH” Pinkie Pie exclaimed in horror. “RAINBOW DASH! YOU HAVEN’T TOLD THEM YET?”
Rainbow Dash scratched her ear in annoyance. “Hasn’t really come up! But since you insist,” she said with a huff before returning to her calm demeanor. “It’s our local Leaf Fall event where we run through the Whitetail woods for Ponyville's contribution for winter.”
“Ah,” Breezy Lace replied while Tailwind nodded.
“Huh?” Sea Drop said.
“We run fast to make the leaves fall off the trees,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Okay, but… why?”
Rainbow Dash blinked with a furrowed brow. “They don’t do this where you’re from?”
“Nope,” Sea Drop replied. “The pine trees stay green all year round, and the salt winds kinda encrusted their needles.“
“Oh,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Well, we need to do it here because our trees don't have salt and so they need our help during autumn. Simple as that.”
“Well…” Tailwind began.
“So we get to help?” Sea Drop interjected with excitement.
“Yup!” Pinkie Pie replied. Stirring the batter faster now, she leaned forward and said, “It’s going to be the race of the year!”
"A race!?" Sea Drop exclaimed, nearly jumping as she spread her hoofs and flexed her wings. "I've never been in a race before, but I know I'm fast!" she said while looking amongst them all. She then turned to Rainbow Dash. "We gotta' tell Dust Cloud. I'll bet he'll love it!"
Rainbow Dash smirked. "For sure. And we'll see how fast you are. But I gotta warn ya, Applejack and I are the reigning local champs. Most years."
Breezy Lace chuckled as she let go from Pinkie Pie. "I can believe that. Aww what the heck, I'll run, too." With a soft smile she glanced among them. "I have to say, this place is warming up to me real quick."
"Awwwww," Pinkie Pie said while wiping a tear from her eye, and embraced Breezy Lace in a hug. "It just makes me so happy to hear that!"
"Pinkie," Breezy Lace complained while craning her head away. But still, her good mood found her tolerating even this sort of affection, and she sighed while smiling defeatedly. “So when do I get to taste test this stuff?” she then asked.
Pinkie Pie pulled away and propped the bowl up onto her hoof like a pedestal. “It’ll be ready in two days!”
Breezy Lace’s smile fell. “That long?”
“The best stuff takes the longest,” Pinkie Pie replied. “Buuuuut, I can whip some more basic snacks for tomorrow’s big race. Buuuuuuuuut, I need to do some digging first.”
“Well that won’t be too hard,” Breezy Lace replied as she flexed her wings. “Moving dirt and breaking rocks just got a lot easier for me. And if I’m going to begin this never ending journey of sweets, I might as well kick it off with the best.”
“Perfect! Let’s go digging later this evening.” Pinkie Pie replied with a grin. She then turned to Rainbow Dash. “What are all of you up to?
“Just walking around town,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Wanna come or are you in the middle of baking?”
“I’m in the exact middle!” Pinkie Pie replied. She then lifted her spoon and tapped it a few times on the bowl’s edge to clear the remaining batter. “This baby needs to sit in the oven for the next eighteen hours. Let me throw it in and I’ll be right back.”
“Cool,” Rainbow Dash replied before watching Pinkie Pie zip to the back of Sugarcube Corner.
“Seriously,” Tailwind asked aloud. “Is food supposed to shine?”
“Eh,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Pinkie Pie’s does sometimes.”
Some moments of silence passed between them as they stood in the street, idlying taking in the town and passing ponies while they waited.
“What kind of snacks do you think she’ll bring tomorrow?” Sea Drop suddenly asked.
“Whatever it is, it’ll probably be good,” Rainbow Dash replied.
“Probably?” Tailwind asked.
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “She’s got like a ninety-eight percent chance in my books. That only leaves one percent for bad, and another percent for… well, Pinkie Pie.”
“Uhm, can you explain more?”
Rainbow Dash waved a hoof in his direction. “Trust me, there is no explaining.”
Still wanting to ask more questions, Tailwind quietly humpfed and turned away. A large store window caught his attention, and so he walked a few steps to stand before it.
The thin but frequent crowd murmured in passing, with every pony giving a wide berth to the drakes, although, the majority of the glances were more akin to neighborly nods than curious stares. But eyebrows raised at the sight of a pink blur dashing to the draconic group, and passing ponies could only wonder what unpredictable event would come next.
“Sorry that took so long!” Pinkie Pie announced as she popped up beside Rainbow Dash. “So what’s the afternoon plan?”
“Well, we don’t have one yet,” Rainbow Dash said while she looked at the others. “What do you all want to do?”
“Tailwind looks like he wants to go shopping,” Sea Drop said. “Let’s do that!”
“Shopping!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with happy hoof clops.
Breezy Lace gave a deadpan look. “We just went shopping yesterday at Rarity's.”
Sea Drop chuckled. “I meant window shopping. I don’t know how the guards picked you up but I didn’t really have time to stop by a bank. So count me bitless.”
“Window Shopping!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed again.
Breezy Lace sighed before smirking. “Alright then, let’s go and see what caught his eye.”
With wide curious eyes, Sea Drop trotted ahead of the group and peered through the glass at the wall of trinkets. “What are you thinking of buying?” she asked beside Tailwind.
“Um… I… I’m not sure,” he replied. “I-If I had to pick, maybe that music box?”
“Huh, I’d like something like that, too,” Sea Drop replied. Her head turned right and her smile widened. “Hey, what’s in this store?”
As she moved over, Breezy Lace motioned to Tailwind with her head. “Come on, we’re going window shopping.”
“O-Okay!” Tailwind said, finding himself smiling as he quickly trotted to their sides.
All together they moved past store window after window, idly taking in the various merchandise. But eventually one of the store's hoof crafted fine ornate goods caught the interest of some, and without pause to look back at the others, Sea Drop dashed inside while proclaiming, “I gotta’ check this store out!”
“Right behind you!” Pinkie Pie said while bouncing in.
“I’m curious as well,” Tailwind spoke up as he went inside.
“Alright, we’ll be out here,” Rainbow Dash said, and she plopped herselt against the corner of the store door.
Breezy Lace did likewise on the opposite end, and together they street watched while waiting.
“So, how long have you been in town, or are ya’ from here?” Breezy Lace eventually asked.
“Moved here when I was old enough,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Grew up in Cloudsdale.”
Breezy Lace smirked. “You too, huh?” Looking up at the sky, she continued, “I got out young, too. Found that I was better at moving heavier things than clouds.”
Some silence passed between them as ponies walked by, and Rainbow Dash eventually turned her head to ask, “Ever thinking of going back?”
“Some days. You?”
“Sometimes,” Rainbow Dash replied while looking back to the street. “But the feeling never lasts long.”
“Hmpf,” Breezy Lace chuckled. “I have a feeling this town might do that to a pony.”
Rainbow Dash smugly smiled. “Yeah, this place really does grow on ya.”
As they took in the day more, Rainbow Dash’s eyes locked onto a yellow form wearing a satchel amongst the crowd. “Be right back,” Rainbow Dash said before trotting away.
Walking straight across the street Rainbow Dash approached her friend. “Hey, Flutters.”
“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy quietly exclaimed. “You almost hit that pony!”
“Wha?” she replied while looking behind her. She caught the tailend of a scrutinizing glance from a mare with a tall wig, who only proceeded to lift her nose as she walked away.
Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. “Ah, it’s fine. What are you doing?”
Fluttershy’s brow was still narrow, but it softened as she replied, “I was going to… the forest.”
“Checking out the race way?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“No, the… other forest.”
Rainbow Dash tilted her head, but her ears fell as she realized what Fluttershy meant. “Oh…”
Fluttershy brought her nose down for a moment before continuing, “I… I want to take another look so I can figure out the replanting, and would-” She paused while shifting her slung satchel before mustering the courage to ask, “Would you like to come?”
Rainbow Dash half turned away as she looked at the ground. “I don’t think I…” she replied before trailing off. Fluttershy waited patiently as Rainbow Dash’s eyes picked back and forth. Eventually Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, and she gave a heavy sigh before looking back up to Fluttershy. “You know… I think I do. Just… give me a minute to let the others know.”
Fluttershy gave a small smile, and she followed Rainbow Dash as they slowly made their way back across the street.
“What’s going on?” Breezy Lace asked, catching notice of Rainbow Dash’s sunken demeanor. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, I’m just… going to go with Fluttershy to visit the burned forest.”
Breezy Lace was quiet, and eventually she gave a simple nod. “Alright, we’ll see you later.”
The store doorbell rang as it opened, and Sea Drop pranced out. “Whew! That was a lot of looking!”
“That was quick,” Breezy Lace replied earnestly. “Find something to buy for another time?”
“A few things,” Sea Drop said with a grin.
“That was the best hour of inside window shopping ever!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she exploded out of the store.“Oh hey, Fluttershy!”
“Hello, Pinkie,” Fluttershy replied.
“Where’s Tailwind?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“He’s actually trying to buy something,” Sea Drop answered.
“Oh yeah?” Breezy Lace replied as she craned her neck to look inside through the windows. “I figured he didn’t have any bits on him.”
Sea Drop raised her hoof and circled it about. “Apparently he’s a member of some group he’s trying to use as credit. Either way, it is one heck of a haggle show, you should really check it out.”
“Maybe another time,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m actually going to help out Fluttershy with something. I’ll catch you all later.”
“Alright, bye-bye!” Pinkie Pie waved.
“See ya later!” Sea Drop added.
Waving goodbye to them all, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash turned away and walked down the street.
When they were out of earshot, Fluttershy asked, “How are they doing?”
“Okay,” Rainbow Dash flatly replied. “They seem to be handling it.”
Fluttershy nervously glanced at Rainbow Dash, but otherwise kept her eyes on the parting crowd before them. Without another word, the two of them walked to the town’s outskirts, taking in the setting evening sun as buildings lessened. Eventually, they came to the fields at the edge of town that laid before them and the EverFree forest.
Rainbow Dash paused, and Fluttershy stopped as she quietly waited for her friend.
The field had been covered in ash, and some still remained despite the winds from the last few days. It’s pale scent wafted through Rainbow Dash’s nose, and the smells of further destruction ahead emninated from the forest.
Finding her stomach churning, Rainbow Dash took a heavy open mouthed breath, and then swiftly began crossing the field. Fluttershy quickly trotted to her side, and together they quietly stepped onto the forest’s trail.
Here beneath the thick EverFree foliage, Rainbow Dash eventually said, “Actually… I’m… I’m not doing… good.”
“Oh?” Fluttershy asked while glancing at Rainbow Dash every few steps.
“I… I don’t know what I’m doing.” After some more steps, Rainbow Dash continued, “Twilight left me with all this responsibility and… they’re fine! Well, not fine-fine, but… better than me, at least.” Rainbow Dash whipped her head to Fluttershy. “I even bragged about beating Gale!”
Fluttershy shared her friend’s concerned look, but she waited patiently for her to continue.
“It just… slipped out! I don't know why I even said it or brought it up. And now everypony thinks that I’m… I… I don’t even know what they think!” Rainbow Dash sighed, and spoke quietly, “I don’t know what I need to be doing.”
“Whatever it is,” Fluttershy replied, “I’m sure you’ll find out.”
Rainbow Dash gave an exasperated sigh, but stared thoughtfully on the winding dirt path ahead while trying her best to avoid noticing the remnants of ash all around. The smell was getting stronger, and Rainbow Dash found herself wanting to grimace the closer they got.
“Here,” Fluttershy suddenly said, stepping off the trail and through the fern covered undergrowth.
Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, but then wordlessly followed.
Keeping herself focused on moving, Rainbow Dash stared at Fluttershy’s yellow form before her in the vast greenery around them. But as quickly as she seemed to have zoned out on the brazen trail, the greenery soon gave way to a large clearing and the blazing setting sun.
Together they stopped on the forest’s edge, and looked out at the mounds of black and grey before them. The few remaining trees were but charcoal sticks with hints of grey edges. The rest littered the space haphazardly, or had piled onto one of the large old logs within the forest, creating a mound of charred and prickly wood.
“How… How much?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“...Over a hundred acres…”
Rainbow Dash’s mouth fell as her eyes simply trailed over the wild fire’s remains.
“A lot of the surviving animals took shelter at my house,” Fluttershy said. “But I can’t support all of them forever.” Stepping forward, Fluttershy dug at the ash dirt with a hoof. Craning her neck to her satchel, she then fished out a small seed, and plopped it into the small hole. Covering it up with a slow swipe of her hoof, Fluttershy looked around. “It’ll take time, but it’ll come back.” Turning to Rainbow Dash, she said, “As long as it can heal, anything can come back.”
Rainbow Dash blinked, but then gave a small laugh at the hopeful feeling appearing within her. Cocking her head to Fluttershy while smiling, she asked, “Give me some of those seeds.” After receiving a hoof full, Rainbow Dash stepped away to start digging.
"Let's only plant a few," Fluttershy said. "I still want to survey a bit before the sun's fully down."
"Mhmm," Rainbow Dash absentmindely answered, but she eventually paused from the statement. Lifting her head up to stare the orange and red horizon in the distance, she quietly mumbled to herself, "Sunset already?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What do you think?”
“What do I think?”
“Yeah.”
“Since when do you care what I think?”
“Just humor me.”
The stallion guard sighed, and looked up at the tiled dungeon ceiling above them. “If I had to pick… I’d say Mulberry.”
“Mulberry?” the other stallion guard scoffed.
“What? You asked.”
“Yeah, I asked. But mulberry? Really?”
“And what would you pick?”
“Spinach or cheddar, you know, something more ordinary than mulberry.”
“By Celetsia, quit saying it like that.”
“Even banana is better than mulberry.”
The guard stepped away before adding, “This is why I don’t share my thoughts with you.”
“But you do,” the other replied smugly. “Hey, I know. Let’s get a third opinion. What do you think goes best in a quiche?”
The dungeon became quiet save for the flickering of torches. The multi-iron cell prison housed only one prisoner, bound in a straight jacket and chained by iron shackles on each limb, and who remained as silent as the shadows he sat in. Eventually the guard scoffed and looked away at the slouched form. “Guess food isn’t much of a conversation starter. Seriously, does he ever chat? You used to never be able to shut him up from what I remember.”
“Not since the others were taken away. Ever since then, he’s just been sitting there like-”
“Like what?”
“...”
“Like what?” the other guard asked again before turning to his companion. “What’s the matter?”
“He’s… looking at us.”
The other narrowed his eyes, and looked past the iron bars at the prisoner now staring back at them. “Yeah, so?”
“He… doesn’t normally do that.”
The other guard rolled his tongue in his cheek for a moment before making a popping noise, and then turned back to his companion. “Should we… make a report about it? You know, unusual behavior and all that?”
“That won’t be necessary,” a mare replied.
The two guards looked at each other, and then whipped their heads to the door they stood in front of. The head level slider to look through was open, and a small metallic orb plopped through the space.
Even as their eyes panically tracked downward, and their muscles tensed to leap back, the orb hit the stone floor, and a cascade of crackling electricity streaked outward.
The two guards became stiff whilst their limbs shook from the jolting surge, and after the orb’s brief discharge, they collapsed to the ground.
The tinkling of magic sounded off, and the keys from the guard’s belt unlatched itself and floated over to the door. After a resounding click, the door was pushed open, and two cloaked ponies entered the prison room.
Throwing back their hoods to reveal themselves, they stared stoically through the iron bars. The earth pony stallion in the back appeared to be middle aged, with a short haircut and had sheaths of weapons at his side. The unicorn mare in front had two sets of bandoliers strapping her chest, and had strapped to her back a wrapped object similar in length to a short spear.
But aside from their clothing and shackles, the three conscious ponies were but all the same in coat and mane color.
After the two heartbeats of eyeing one another, the unicorn mare eventually stated, “We’ve come to break you out, Soarin.”
“Why are you doing this?” Soarin flatly asked.
The stallion beside her stepped forward and replied, “The Beast has awoken, and the new drakes have all gathered in Ponyville.”
Soarin’s brow became tense, and he turned away from them while closing his eyes. After two slow breaths, he opened his eyes and looked back to his companions. “I see. Alright then, I’ll come along. How soon can we get there?”
As the mare casted the spells to undo cell locks and prison restraints, she answered, “Since we’ll have to hoof it, two days.”
“Can we expect any support?” Soarin asked as he rubbed his free ankles and stretched his feathered wings.
“No,” the stallion replied. “The elders gave us our last briefing. They're placing everything on our shoulders.”
Soarin closed his eyes again and took another breath. “One last chance, then?”
“The rest of our family may continue the Hunt with the Crowns,” the mare said. Completing the last of the unlocking spells, her horn’s light went out, and the iron doors swung open with a creak. “But we are and will be the last Hunters. We have a duty which we cannot fail.”
“Agreed,” Soarin replied. Standing up, he opened his eyes, and took in his companion’s faces while they did the same. “Here we stand,” Soarin said.
“And where we fall,” the stallion said next.
“Only ash shall remain,” the mare finished.
After sharing a collective nod in their declaration, Soarin exited his cell. “Let’s be off to Ponyville then, and after that, we can finally end it.”