//------------------------------// // Chapter Twelve: Spirit // Story: Rimworld: Colony is Magic // by Anotherrandom //------------------------------// The world turned into Nothing. Black, inky Nothing, clinging to her fur like tar. Suffocating, oppressive, angry and hateful Nothing. Every emotion, every feeling, doubt, dream of hope. Gone. She was an empty shell where only pain remained and even pain would soon be replaced by more Nothing until there was no trace of her left.  Succumbing to the darkness, letting go of all of her suffering.  Twilight Sparkle, at peace at last.  The Nothing moved and swirled and changed. Gaining color and shape. Green, metallic shine and yellow, pulsing veins formed on its surface. It hurt and seared on touch, burning Twilight away like wood in a fire. Trying to bury her alive under its writhing mass and crush the last resistance Twilight put on. She struggled, trying to get away from the thing trying to destroy her very being - not knowing why, only that she had to.  "Please!"  Someone was calling her. Pleading for her. Fight! Survive!  Twilight thought of a purple and green speckled egg. Of a burned breakfast and jokes shared. Of meals brought when she forgot to eat and of bedtime stories when he couldn't sleep.  She remembered the little moments. Gentle voice telling her everything will be okay. A brash and boisterous presence, standing loyally by her side no matter the odds. A friend who never failed to make her laugh. Of honesty when it was most needed. A generosity given without hesitation. "Live goddamnit!" A wall of golden light lit the darkness. The iron grip of Nothing on her failing and unraveling.  Twilight thought of the three crosses in a field. Of a grave by a broken gate. Of those taken and of those who still fought. The mass recoiled, releasing its grip, as it was consumed by golden light. The green shine melted away, sizzling and screeching.  A kick of her hind leg, a scream of not her own. Do Not Die Here, commanded a voice.  "I will not give up!" I cannot die, not yet.  They were here; she felt their presence in her very soul. The bond she had with her friends, holding strong no matter what.  Enveloped in gold, she opened her eye.  Twilight coughed, water leaving her abused lungs. Grasping for the much needed air with pained breaths. She tried to sit upright, only causing even more water to get out. An errand thought about what by Tartarus was that vision entered her mind, only to be swiftly swept away by other matters.  Like continuing to live. And why she was coughing whole aquariums worth of water. How did this much even fit in? This shouldn’t be possible with standard pony biology!  Finally, oxygen started to get into her system. Her whole barrel was horribly bruised, the agony of broken ribs and the elation of an uninterrupted supply of oxygen mixing together into a powerful cocktail of emotions. Twilight felt drunk, all the contrasting signals given by her body and brain disorienting. Why was everything so dark? Did she lose her other eye? Was she blind?  No!  Horrible scenario after horrible scenario came to her. Possibilities of future fates that would befall her in that weakened state.  If I'm crippled, they will leave me behind! They would never do that, she chastised herself. King and Crown are true friends. Despite their flaws. Abandoning me would never even cross their mind.  It would be worse. She would become a burden. Using precious supplies, causing them to fail and die and it would be all her fault! Alone and blind, I can't make it! Starving slowly and- Oh, that's just King hugging me. Wait, what? Two surprisingly firm hands held her in a bear hug. The human heaving and crying. Tears soaking her already wet fur. "Let her go before you suffocate the poor girl."  Crown voice was gruff, haggard and simply drained. Despite being the least affected and relatively uninjured, he still struggled to stay standing.  "Sorry *sniff* I was just… really grateful." King let her go, revealing the mud bath the desert became. The brush, before a few days of travel from them, had been partially uprooted and carried by the watery onslaught all the way to them. The remnants of plant matter all around them. The ground was muddy, boots sticking deep into it as the sun began rapidly hardening the material. King’s body was coated in a layer of filth and grime, with some blood staining his clothes and she wasn’t much better,  Oh, Twilight realized, King wasn't crying anymore. He was laughing.  Deep, hearty and full of mirth. Rocking his entire body. His cheeks still bore the telltale signs of tears, but the sadness was gone. Laughter it was now. Laughter despite everything. Despite pain, injury and circumstance. Daring the world, the games of the godlike beings. They survived! The Rimworld did it worse, and they made it, screamed the laughter.  She started giggling. Did it hurt? Yes. Her bruised ribs were definitely protesting such action. But it didn't matter. Was it unhinged? A sign of her quickly lessening emotional stability? Probably. Did she care? Not in the least.  Twilight missed things. Her checklists, her books. The fairly conventional threats that Equestria had in comparison. There were sealed ancient evils, but nopony ever tried to throw a sea at her. At least yet.  They both started laughing at the absurdity of their situation. The bizarreness of it all. Some gunsmith from a backwater hive world and a purple unicorn, laughing at the universe trying its best to end them.  Crown stood a few feet away, watching with curiosity quickly turning into concern for the two of them, sitting in the mud and laughing their heads off.  “Okay guys, I know this is probably cathartic and all, but it's creeping me out. And the dirt can't be good for your wounds. No infections, no thank ya.” Wounds? What wounds? She had bruises, but otherwise she was pretty alright. Nothing that could get infected. Well, expect the slight cut on her leg. But she was- “King!” she croaked. His right hand was missing fingers, torn at the base. The rest of his hand was blue and swollen. HIs bones were shattered by blunt impacts of numerous floating debris. He got hurt because of her. And not a small wound either, a permanent injury.  “Don't worry, I'm alright,” said King. Waving it off and causing him to grimace at the sight of his butchered limb. “Mostly.”  “You are bleeding everywhere.” Pointed out Crown. “:.. Tis is but a scratch.”  “Your fingers are missing!” she shrieked. Her medkit! What was the proper procedure for lost appendages? Hold the injured limb high, clean the wound, stop the bleeding, right? Why didn’t I read more survival manuals when I got the chance?! Nopony told me avoiding joining the Filly Scouts by pretending to be deathly allergic to knot making and cookie selling could lead to this!  Her magic was still weak, so she reached for her first aid kit with her hooves. The small pack thankfully remained by her side, together with Dawn. The extra ammo she carried for King together with her water bottle was gone though - her cloth rig was utterly destroyed by the floating wrecks. It was both fortunate and unfortunate that she wore her breastplate at the time. The worst injury she got were bruises and a cut on her leg from the wire. She could have ended with much worse. On the other hoof, without the armor, she might have been able to avoid nearly drowning after falling overboard.  The blaze of the sun on her face reminded her of the situation. The sun would dry the soil which would harden until it had the strength of stone. They had to gather their missing equipment as fast as possible while retrieving it was an option. But King also needed his hand to be tended to.  She opened the bandage package with her teeth while holding it between her fetlocks. “Holt shtill,” she said with the empty packet in her mouth.  “Twilight, I can do that. Ya just woke up,” Crown voiced his concern, but Twilight's mind was settled on this.  She spat out the package, the pseudo-plastic leaving a bitter taste on her tongue. They made the packaging from chemfuel, which meant milking boomalopes. Blech!  Note to self: don’t forget to disinfect your mouth, preferably by fire.  “ But Sparky-” “No buts,” she interrupted. She knew she should have been at the edge of collapse, but the rush from the dream gave her energy and Dawn’s aura kept her going. Her voice was firm, not quivering in the slightest. As much as she was internally screaming, this simply wasn’t the time to freak out about the near death experience or the presence of her friend’s blood on her coat.  “You need to get that bandaged. And by Celestia, you will get it bandaged. Is that clear?” she said to him. Freaking out would come later, she decided. Let’s schedule it for sometime when she or her teammates weren’t in mortal peril.  “Yes, ma’am!” reacted King, mainly from instinct and muscle memory, flinching as he subconsciously tried to salute her with the injured hand. “Good. Crown, I need you to gather any supplies you might find scattered around. We may have lost our bags, but maybe we can still find them before the mud solidifies.”  The difference in Twilight’s demeanor was stark. Gone was twitching and pawning at the floor, her skittishness or nervousness. For once, she seemed to not be at the edge of a mental breakdown. In control, commanding, and in charge. “Sure?” Crown was mostly confused, this was not going how he expected it to go in the slightest. From his experience, people shortly after resuscitation were not nearly as chatty, or in really able to do much. But she was right about their equipment. And he was the only one left standing without hindrance.  Since when is the horse a leader?  Twilight did her best to keep composure. Take the reins of the situation, save your human friends. Make it back home. Not much of a checklist, but I can add get a proper checklist to the mental checklist of things to get.  She took a bottle of antiseptic and poured it over the nubs of King's missing fingers, then applied the bandages and held King's hand high. Lydia made a noise, digging at the ground with his foreleg and eating whatever he uncovered from it. Twilight gave the alpaca a surprised look. Not only was the animal still with them, but it didn't seem to be hurt or spooked by the recent events. Standing there with a nonplussed expression on its muzzle and chewing slowly.  King got up, despite her protest. The medicine he was taking prevented infections from being a threat, but the way King just ignored a serious injury like that was unnatural. Was it the aftermath of the emotion fueled adventure in the storm or something else?  Twilight pouted her cheeks. They would need to have a serious talk later. King wasn't acting right, not since he overcame his life-threatening infection back at Going South.  She sighed. All of them were emotionally and physically exhausted. The stress, a monotony of traveling in blazing heat only punctuated by life or death scenarios was taking its toll on them.   And she had yet to tell them about Dawn. So far, she chose to not mention the fact that the ancient weapon was sentient and could communicate in dreams. I mean, she thought. Why would I? It just sounds crazy when thinking about it. Hey guys! My sword is literally alive! And what would it change even if they believed her? Nothing.   Was it really a secret? Sun Glory was pretty open about it when asked. Would they just accept it? Does it even matter? Later. She can decide these things later. After a rest, after the looming threat of death is at least somewhat distant. But now, they would need to find a place to rest.  A simple room. A cottage at the very edge of Everfree. Gone were the cute critters, the chirping of small animals and the constant birdsong. The charming home was wrecked. Furniture smashed, animal nest destroyed and shards of glass and ceramic strewn about, with blood pooling under the terrified yellow pegasus.  Fluttershy held her front hooves close to the bleeding gash on her torso, whimpering softly. Her eyes turned into pinpricks, wings fluttering the armed figure approaching her covering victim.  "P-p-please."   Her strength was leaving her with each drop of crimson, staining the carpet. She wasn’t fast enough to escape and not nearly strong enough to fight back in her wounded state. Her voice was trembling and pleading. Trying to reach her friend. “T-twilight.” And failing. "D-D-Drop the knife."  Twilight stepped forward, stumbling like a puppet on strings. The knife was ready to strike again, to end the job.  Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop… A glint of steel, the smell of iron and cheap tobacco, permitting from the man in a red beret, observing with a ghost of a smirk. Fluttershy, cornered and unable to escape, closed her eyes, accepting her fate with grace. "I'm sorry." The knife plunged forward.   The blow never landed. A crack of psychic power, pushing her away. The dream falling apart. Celestia stood in front of Twilight in all of her glory. Armor glowing wings shielding the purple mare from harm. A clear statement to the still smirking being. If you want her, you have to go through me first.  "Begone,” Dawn’s voice thundered, putting every ounce of fury and anger into that single word.  A flash of green and It was gone.  Dawn turned to Twilight, wings pulling her close. The armor was surprisingly malleable and soft against Twilight shaking body. A feeling of safety washed over her.  "What just happened?"  Dawn continued to hold her close. She felt something wet on her shoulder. Dawn was crying. Sobs and tears tearing away the mask of perfection, of an unconquerable fortress, unbreaking and eternal like the sun itself.  All of her reserves, the carefully mapped connections. Plans and contingencies abandoned for the sake of saving Twilight’s life with what little she could do. And that bastard! Attacking her when she couldn’t protect her, just so It could watch her suffer. He would pay! Pay!  It was close for comfort.  "I Was So Afraid."  Twilight stared, stunned, as the alicorn continued to gently nuzzle her, the tips of the white feathers tickling her on her back.    "I Thought I Lost You," said Dawn. “That I Failed Again.”  Twilight felt a twinge of guilt in her gut. Dawn felt the world around her through the wielder, through her emotions, feelings and mental state. She didn’t fully understand the nature of the aura around Dawn's physical form, but that observation made sense. Dawn was practically blind without a wielder.  Having to watch, as that bond slowly fades and to be powerless to stop it. It made her shudder.  One slip, that’s all it takes. She got distracted and she would pay the ultimate price if not for King’s swift intervention.   Her mind went back to the nightmare. These haunted her for some time now, but stopped after the bond with Dawn, Twilight believing that she finally beat that curse. Sadly, she wasn’t that lucky.  She slouched down to the floor of her dream library. But something was different this time around. Dawn stopped the nightmare.  Dawn had power over her dreams, at least limited one. How much that control stretched and what influence she had required further study. It was clearly more than the ability to talk and to cause lucid dreaming.  Dawn was still there, fretting over her. And she made her worry. Dawn was trying her best to help her, to assist her. Fighting even her bad dreams! She deserved an apology.  “I’m sorry,” Twilight said, hoof reaching behind her head nervously before a sigh escaped her lips. “For making you worry and… and for not being the friend I should.”  She let her head hang down to the surprise of Dawn. “I never really stopped and thought about what you think or feel. Or how my actions affect you. You clearly care for me, and…” Twilight searched for words.  How many times did Dawn save her life? How many times she tried to give at least a semblance of safety and security in this crazy place? Every night so far. And what did she do to repay her for her kindness? Basically nothing!  She didn’t even acknowledge her as a person until recently!  “And I’m sorry.”  Dawn chuckled. “It’s Okay Twilight. I Forgive You.”  The ancient intelligence smiled. The echoes of long past millennia burning behind those violet eyes “We Are Going To Accomplish So Much Together.”  Everything was going according to plan.  And she would soon have her revenge. The crackling of the campfire brought them no comfort that night. Fire would be a luxury any other night, but it felt hollow today. It simply did not matter anymore The group was left lethargic after the emotional high of the storm, the brief bout of energy she had long gone.  Twilight plumbed down next to Crown. She felt sore and hungry and so tired. Her chest still hurt from the strain of sheer effort of holding her breath for far too long. She had more bruises than she cared to count. Even blinking was hard, her eyelids heavy.  But she didn't want to go back to sleep.  Crown started scratching her behind her ears.  Yes, that's much better already. "I think that's all I can do for you." Crown said to King. King shrugged nonchalantly, his right hand in a sling and covered in gauze. Like it didn't bother him much.  "I'm sorry, If I didn't fall into the water, you-" "It's okay. We lived, there is still hope." "Is it?" The desert was empty. No light in the distance, no beacon for them to follow. Their mark vanished after the flood.  The realization came slowly. Doubts sneaking in like a thief going after precious jewels.  "We are still going. We can't turn back now." She sounded way more confident than she was.  Going through the mountains was dangerous with their equipment. Without them, it seemed downright suicidal. And now, the reason for that foolish action may not be there anymore. "And what if we don't make it?" Crown voice was low, subdued and tired. “What if they didn't make it?” "We have to try,” Twilight reaffirmed.  The three of them continued to sit in silence. The warmth of the fire washed over them, as the desert became covered in frost. "Do we have enough wood?" She asked tiredly. "Think so."  The scratching was truly divine at a moment like this. Her head was placed in Crown's lap as he pet her absent-mindedly. Minutes ticked by, only sounds were the insects and the crackling of fire.  King took a deep breath of the frigid air. “I had to do it.” He blurted out. “Diving in for you.”  Twilight raised an eyebrow. Where did this come from? Crown only gave a tired sigh. “King, I got it. I understand.” “With all respect. I don't think you do.” He straightened his shoulders, the empty revolver he was cleaning in one hand.   “For years. I was just… sitting there. Filing paperwork. Requisitioning parts. Occasionally putting guns together so they keep working.”  Clean the barrel, oil the weapon, and take care of the cylinder. Don’t forget the cylinder, you always forget the cylinder. Wipe the whole thing, all that water cannot do it any good.  The gun was resting on his bandaged hand, forcing him to work with only the healthy one. But the challenge at least helped him to stay awake and focused.  “I joked with my guys.” he continued, attention still glued to the revolver. His hand following the familiar steel frame of the weapon in monotonous movements. “Got to know them. Their lives. Their hobbies, their families. Every day, they would walk past my desk, exchange our good mornings, and give a few words. Maybe laugh at the new instruction from the upper management. Just stuff. Normal, average stuff. ” The movement stopped, his gaze suddenly unfocused, staring at the flames. “And then… and then they wouldn't come back.”  The revolver shook, beads of sweat started rolling down his forehead.  “That was my job. My life  And I couldn't do a thing about it. But then I got here. And I thought that I could actually help. Do stuff that isn't meaningless. Be more than a useless bag of shit behind a desk.” For a moment, his eye met hers, and she shivered.  In those eyes was madness. “And then, Sun Glory died and I couldn't do anything to stop it.”  He took the clean gun, loading five bullets into it slowly by hand as they watched hypnotized, then holstering it on the empty one.  “I guess I should not have expected that stuff to change. I may have been carried off to some Rimworld in the deepest, weirdest and hellish part of the galaxy, but it's still the old, useless me.” He grabbed a stone. King was eyeing the piece of granite like he was waiting for it to do some tricks. His hand turned into a fist, the stone crumbling to dust. “Until now, that's it. Now I can help. I must help. “While I still can.”  Twilight stirred, ears pinned against her skull as she watched the sinister smile on her friend's face. This wasn't like him. Lashing out of nowhere. Her prey instinct screamed at her to run away. The familiar glee in that voice… “And that justifies you being a moron? You jumped in without a plan!” Crown said angrily. “Oh, look at me,” he mocked. “I feel underutilized. Let's do something bat shit insane!” “You are mocking me? You!? You are a COWARD. Leaving others to DIE!” King was now in front of Crown, moving in a blur and holding the other human by the collar, lifting him up effortlessly, the vein facade of mocking irony quickly shattering and turning into panic. Crown flinching hearing his remark, the words hitting worse than any beating that King could give. “STOP!”  A field of purple magic enveloped them both. Holding live beings by telekinesis was always much harder, due to their own auras fighting the intruding arcane force. The backlash from extending her field made the world spin around her unpredictably.  “Don't you see that infighting is only going to make things worse? Stop acting like foals!”  Ever so slowly, the fury that possessed him dissipated, releasing his grip on Crown, who just landed limply, numb, empty stare on his face. “Crown. I'm sorry. I didn't… I didn’t mean it.”  Crown got up, dusting himself wordlessly, not even glancing in his directions.  “No, I suppose not.” The two men sat at the opposite ends of the campfire, silence hanging between them as Twilight watched in horror.  None of them found any sleep that night.  Riding an alpaca was uncomfortable.  Twilight had to admit that it had its bright side. Not having to walk on the unstable, sharp things containing, possibly deadly quicksand hiding, ground herself was definitely one of them. And as much as she hated to say it, the injuries left her the slowest one in the group, so it made logical sense. Even more now, with much of their supplies lost, having an animal capable of carrying weight and not using that capability to the full would be a waste. Counterpoint, a quadruped riding another quadruped just wasn't working.  No matter how she tried to sit on the back of Lydia, she just couldn't find a position that wouldn't become uncomfortable ten minutes down the line. The one she decided for now was to on her haunches, holding onto the alpacas thick wool. She had to tuck her tail under her, which was quite uncomfortable, but at least it wasn't as demeaning as the initial idea of laying belly down on the animal.  From her positions, she had at least a clear view of the extreme desert that was Great Empty. The high ground revealing the beginning of the shrublands. The arid wasteland was in bloom after the one rain in the season, maybe even in a year.  Crown and King haven't spoken to each other yet. Traveling in uneasy silence, only exchanging angry looks.  Twilight facehoofed. Two whole grudge was stupid. And it didn't make sense in the least. She herself did much more reckless things and the people of Going South accepted it without a problem. King risk was one that was necessary at the time, much more than her trying to preserve her moral compass, like when she tried to free the slaves from a neutral caravan and making them another enemy.  He did what took a risk to save the life of his fellow. Something she knew Crown was more than alright with.  And Crown would never just abandon a friend in need. What he did for them in that cave proved that beyond any doubt.  So what was with them now?  She groaned. Why did they have to be so difficult? If they just talked to each other like adults, the entire issue could be over in minutes.   Twilight tried to keep her mind off things. She had far too much on her plate already, deciding to try and map the region in her head.  It was early morning, the night's chill was yet to fully vanish.  The desert transformed in the day following the flood. The plants, made to survive even the harshest of environments, let their seeds be taken by the cascades of water. Some of the plant life took an even more direct approach to outliving and using the desert flash flooding. Taken wholly by the flood and taking roots at the new place the plant found itself in. Small streams of crystal clear water ran between jagged rocks of long dried up rivers, resurrected once again by the whims of the Rim.  Life appeared from the seeds and buds. Dreary brown changing to the fresh green the pony associated with spring.  The seasons changing in the desert were nothing like she knew from Equestria. Every plant fiercely competing for resources, rushing to be the first one to open its flower and attract the small critters and insects the desert used as pollinators, painting the desert in hues of blue, yellow and magenta.  Twilight thought about giving them a taste, seeing that the alpaca freely ate them and was yet to suffer any negative consequences.  Using a quick telekinesis, she grabbed a strange yellow flower with a pleasant smell reminding her of daffodils. The plant itself looked like a houseleek, but with the ability to uproot itself in and curl into a ball in times of drought, then wait and survive until a flood comes. Blooming and releasing seeds rapidly after landing in a different place.  Was the alpaca digestive tract anything like a pony one? Would the same poisons apply? With the difference in body mass, an amount negligible for Lydia could very well prove dangerous to her. The only food they had were the packaged survival meals. Meat based packaged survival meals.  She took a careful bite of the plant. Bit chewy with a pleasant aftertaste and reminding her of cucumbers. The border of the Great Empty was mostly sandy dunes and boulders, now with the additions of more ruins and greenery. The Hobo Weed shrubland was only about a two-day trip. Beyond it, the mountains they needed to cross. The flood, as disastrous as it was, pushed them towards their goal.  Now they had to hope that their friends did not perish in the process.  Happy thoughts, Twilight. Happy thoughts. Definitely don’t think about the high probability of Knight’s and Lilith’s painful demise under the waves! Hey, is that a barrel cacti?  Deep breaths, Twilight, just how Cadence taught you.  Her magic recovered fast. Not nearly at the pace it did back in Equestria, but noticeably faster than after her arrival. Was her biology getting more accustomed to the weak psychic field? Or was it Dawn?  Maybe she should have slept more. That way, she could at least talk to Dawn in a real capacity. Nightmares or not, she had answers to many of her questions. And was simply nice to talk to.  She recalled the sheer terror on Fluttershy’s face, the wound she caused and the bloody knife in her grip.  Or maybe she didn't regret not sleeping. It wasn't like it was the first time she missed most of a night's sleep. Celestia, what would she do for a cup of coffee right now. The alpaca continued its slow trot, clouds of dust rising from their march. Hoofs click clacking on the cracked hard surface.   Moon dust Crown called it. Twilight felt that she should be offended on Luna's behalf. Nothing as annoying to deal with as the desert dust should bear the name of her beloved moon.  It stuck together, made moving exhausting, and caused the humans to lose their boots every ten minutes. While the desert solidified, the moon dust remained wet somehow.  “Stupid moon dust, sticks to your boots like monkey shit.” Crown grumbled from the front. Scanning the path with a rifle in hands. Sweat dripping from him, morning mist building around them.  His sixth sense has been on high alert since entering the borders of Great Empty. The feeling of being followed and watched making the hair on his back stand.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something on the ground. A large print in the mud of a weighty, hooved animal.  “Tracks? An elephant maybe? Juvenile probably.” he muttered to himself, noticing a tuft of long, bluish fur stuck on a nearby thorny bush. “But since when do elephants have fur?” He picked it up. The fur was soft and silky, glistening and reflecting light in a mesmerizing way. A prism, growing on a living animal. Beautiful and otherworldly.  And big and somewhere around here. “Well, that's concerning. Good thing it ain't our problem tho.” At least yet.  “Did you hear that?” King said. Looking around. Twilight ears swiveled from side to side.  The sound was faint and barely hearable, coming from a dead end of a dried river delta. Muffled cries of distress. Neighing and whining desperately, calling for help.  Like a foal calling for help.  Twilight couldn't afford to lose time, jumping off Lydia's back, rushing forward. Dawn levitated beside her.  “Sparky wait!” King yelled before following after her.  “No! God- Not you too!”  Crown cursed. Of course! Just rush into the obvious trap! The hell they were thinking? Twilight horn blazed with power, teleporting closer to the source of the sound and outrunning King. The calls of distress were getting louder and louder until the empty river delta widened. Within it, a pool of tar. Black, sticky, and deep. Encasing anything that dared to enter. She nearly fell in, were it not for King stopping her. Twilight's heart skipped a beat.  Half buried, stuck and completely covered in filth, was an equine body with a single horn protruding from its forehead. A unicorn!   She found another unicorn! “Don't be afraid!” How to get closer to them? Can’t step into the tar, cannot teleport them out from this distance. “We are going to get you out!”    She found another unicorn! “Don't be afraid!” she yelled. “We are going to get you out!”  “Sparky, that’s-” Another pony. She found another one like her. A foal! She had to get them out from the tar pit before they suffocated. A pony, she found another pony!  “Rope! King, we need to get rope!”  Crown finally arrived at the scene, panting and breathing heavily. “W-what the hell! What's wrong with you two?! Why are you both suddenly suicidal? Didn't you learn anything?!”  He was red in the face, but his expression quickly softened seeing Twilight in tears. “Ehm, Twi?” “I need to get them out! Help me! Please!” “Them?” he shot a look at the animal struggling in the mud pit. “Twilight, that's a thrumbo.”  “Thrumbo?” Twilight gave the creature in the mud a closer look.  She finally noticed the differences. It was far too large to be a pony foal. The fur was too long and so was the neck. The horn was the wrong shape. And the fur, the small parts not covered in mud, retained the splendor and beauty, not seen on a pony coat.  “Yup” said Crown.”  A Thrumbo. Heard about them. Supposed to be this wise and ancient beings. An old Thrumbo in the wises creature in the universe, simply choosing not to speak. That’s the legend. But seeing it like this, I guess that was a load of bull.”  “B-b-but I thought it was…” she didn't finish the sentence.  She was still alone.  The baby thrumbo continued to try to free itself from the tar, only achieving in burying itself deeper. Its desperate cries losing strength.   Lost and frightened, separated from its mother during the flood. Drowning in the sludge.  “Ehm, well, what do we do now?” King asked Twilight. Crown sighed, reaching for his rifle. “Can't leave it like that. I ain't that cruel.” “You are right, we can't,” she said, approaching the pit.  “Sparky, what are you doing?” “What do you think? Freeing the thrumbo. Now, you can either help or continue to gawk at me.” Crown grimaced as the thrumbo cried. A childhood memory of trying to get a calf from a similar situation resurfaced and took a forefront in his mind. The grueling effort and the sad end when his father had to shoot it anyway.  “Okay, fuck it. Common, what ya need me to do? Ya look like you have a plan.”  King gave her a nod, the ropes ready by his feet. Twilight watched them with a sly smile. Maybe there was still some hope for those two fools.  “Okay, I'm going to freeze the tar around the thrumbo, then we will attach the ropes and pull them out, got it?”  “Aye Aye captain!” “Yep!”  The thrumbo stopped struggling, watching them work with a mix of fear and curiosity. “Shh, we are here to help you,” she whispered. The majestic creature continued to observe her with its large sky blue eyes. What would Fluttershy do? “It's going to be alright, we just want to get you out.”  Twilight didn't know if it worked, but she could swear there was a glimmer of understanding in those blue orbs. The unicorn took her time. A precise use of magic like this requires complete focus. Twilight closed her eye and prayed it would work. She released the spell; energy manipulations, while not very taxing on her magical reserves required more advanced spell work when used on anything else than water, which acted as a natural conduit for magical energy manipulation.    Her magic worked, the tar solid under her hooves, hoarfrost covering half the tar pit in a circle around the thrumbo as the psychic induced entropy settled in. With most of their ropes levitating around her, she started to bind the thrumbo, who started to panic. “It's alright, please trust me.” Maybe it was her voice, maybe just exhaustion in the young creature, but it relented. Letting her to fasten the ropes. “Now boys, it’s your turn!”  On her signal, the two humans and alpaca started pulling, slowly getting the baby thrumbo from its prison. The alpaca and the humans struggling, sweat dripping from them as they groaned with effort. But progress was made, the thrumbo foal was closer to freedom.“See! Just hold on, little one!” “Little one, my ass! It must weigh at least half a ton!” mumbled Crown. “Less talking, more pulling! We can do it!” Twilight grabbed onto the rope, joining in the effort. With one last pull, the thrumbo reached the solid platform, freeing it from the mud pit and letting the humans collectively land on their ass and the pony on her flank now that they weren’t pulling anything.  The now free thrumbo, still covered in dirt, walked to them. Despite being only a juvenile, its imposing height and build made them gulp. The razor sharp, able to effortlessly gut a fully armored super soldier, glistening above them as it lowered its head. And gave Twilight a lick. “No! Stop! Eugh! Not again!” The mare did her best to resist the literal shower of affection, but was once again bested. At least this one was less embarrassing than the alpaca… Was the thrumbo smirking?  “I think that was enough of a bath… Be careful not to slip into any more tar pits, okay?” At this, the animal, to the surprise of all of them, gave a very human nod. Before striding away, turning before vanishing behind a dune, facing them one last time. Its horn was glowing subtly. “Ehm.” Crown fake coughed. “As much as I enjoy playing in the mud. I think we have more ground to cover today.” “Right. Time to get walking.” “And Twilight?” he said.  “You are not alone.”