//------------------------------// // Chapter 64 - Frustration and Depression. // Story: Ark: Friendship is Survival // by Pomp-Neigh //------------------------------// -Sanctuary- It's now a little past noon on the Ark, and an enraged voice echoed all across the Tribe of Harmony’s bowl-shaped territory. “I’m going after her! So if you two aren’t going to help me, then stay here for all I care!” “You will do no such thing, Spikey Wikey!” Rarity scolds with a pointed forelimb. “I refuse to allow you to fly off and get yourself killed!” “So what?! We’ve got the respawn system!” “So. Do. They! Think, Spike! Think!” Rarity taps her head twice with a forelimb As the duo continued their argument outside the tribe’s home, HLN-A floated between them, the AI’s visor turning from one ‘combatant’ to the other. “I can take them!” HLN-A looks to Spike. “And what will that achieve, huh?!” HLN-A looks to Rarity. “You dying over and over again?! Seriously, darling, this argument’s been going in circles all morning!” The AI tries to inject its own words but is harshly cut off by Spike. “Well, I don’t see you trying to go off and save her!” Rarity becomes appalled by this, gasping in shock. “Spikey Wikey, the currently rude dragon! How dare you say such a thing to me!” She turns away with a ‘humph,’ head raised and eyes closed. “Fine! Go fly off and try to be a warmongering brute who doesn’t think things through before he acts.” She bursts into a full-on gallop, tears going down her face. “See if I care, you horrible, horrible barbarian!” “Wait, Rarity!” HLN-A calls out with an extended flap, but the unicorn seemingly ignores everything as she storms her way toward the eastern exit of Sanctuary. HLN-A sighs, the AI’s blue lights turning green, their visor looking downward. As for Spike, the dragon had realized what he’d done with that outburst… and deeply regretted it -- his head lowering in shame. Spike knew that It wasn’t fair to Rarity. She was only trying to help, but he was just so…  angry.  Stupid. “I hope you’re happy now, mate,” HLN-A spat, lights turning red and shooting their visor at the dragon. “You know what? I’m with Rarity on this one. So here’s what’s going to happen now.”  The AI projects two separate scenarios, one depicting Spike combating an armored Gigantopithecus and the other showing him accessing one of the many drops that often descend upon the island. “I’m leaving you with two choices, mate. And it’s entirely up to you what happens next. You can go with our original plan and go out there to collect resources and potential goods from those supply drops. Or, you can add salt to Rarity’s wounds and go on your crusade.”  The dragon finally raised his shamed gaze, inspected each potential ‘pathway,’ and sighed after absorbing both options. “But allow me to give you one piece of advice, Spike. Although I must admit that I’m disappointed in you, seeing as Equus surely must’ve taught you this lesson -- Twilight, at the very least.” HLN-A disperses their projections, lights turning back to the default blue. “Violence breeds violence. A fact that has long stood against the test of time. Sure, sometimes it’s necessary… when you have no other choice, that is.”   Those words had pierced the dragon directly in the heart. In fact, he felt even more stupid than before as he recollected the time he stood up for Thorax. The circumstances were different, but the lesson was the same.  He called out everyone in the Crystal Empire for almost the same thing he formerly wanted to do. He could certainly argue that it was for Twilight, but that thought only caused even more regret to fester. No. He knew her better than anyone else. She wouldn’t want this…  In fact, now that he actually thought about it and knew what kind of being Twilight truly is, her leaving the tribe to defend her loved ones is exactly what the alicorn would do. It’s what he would’ve done if their situations were reversed.   Spike sighs in a mix of sadness and regret. “I… I’ll go get those drops.” He relented, fiddling his claws’ index digits together.  “That’s good to hear, love.” HLN-A momentarily flashes a happy face emoji on their visor. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a certain fashionista to check up on.” “Wait, HLN-A?” Spike calls out during the AI’s skyward departure. “Yes, Spike?” “C-can you tell Rarity that I’m so sorry for what I said…” He said genuinely, looking away. “And for being a, well,” He forms quotation marks, “‘Warmongering Brute.’” The AI giggles. “I certainly could relay that message, but I suspect it’ll have more meaning if you were the one to do it.” The AI finishes with a waving flap before floating away, leaving behind the dragon, who ponders in solitary thought. Rarity walked along the coast just outside of Sanctuary in frustration, Dodos wandering around blindly as the Hide Armor-wearing unicorn kicked up mounds of sand. “I can’t believe Spike would even say such a thing to me.” She smacks away a piece of a Trilobite’s chitinous shell, having long since fallen off its former owner. “I know that he’s worried about Twilight -- so am I! But that doesn’t mean we run off to start fights-” The chirping sounds of a familiar entity cause Rarity’s eyes to widen, and her words cease as she turns to its’ source.  “Oh, it’s one of you,” She said monotonously, deadpanning, the gray Dilophosaurus with yellow stripes before her growling and bearing its fangs as it creeps closer with its flesh-rending claws at the ready. Rarity rolls her eyes. “Yes, yes, you’re a scary carnivore,” She sighs, “look, I don’t have the time for this-” The frilled theropod roars out and lunges forth, its frills opening wide and- “Oh, shut up!”  A barrage of sand is thrown into the dinosaur’s face as Rarity fluently turns around and bucks backward with a single hind leg. The action causes the creature to shake its head with closed eyes, but the equine capitalizes on the opportunity by bringing out a Bola from her inventory. “I am NOT in the mood right now!” The unicorn mare says as she swings the two small rocks of the Bola over her head, each attached to either end of the projectile. Were it any of the Island’s much larger carnivorous entities, Rarity wouldn’t be as foolish as to combat them in such a manner. But she didn’t doubt her capabilities regarding a Dilophosaurus, a creature that’s barely larger than the average earth pony. Even Big Mac could look down on this particular carnivore if she were being honest. The fashionista throws the Bola, the projectile twisting and spinning through the air before being entangled on the Dilo’s legs and tying up both limbs, causing the dinosaur to fall over strugglingly.  Rarity nods contently before turning away with an emphasized ‘humph,’ starting to trot off afterward. “Get back here!” A deep male’s voice beckoned. “You discount Equus scrap of meat!” The outburst caused Rarity to stop in place, her ears fidgeting before she slowly turned back to the Dilo with a shocked expression. The dinosaur glared at her, razor-sharp teeth grinding against each other as he lay there with bounded legs, his claws digging into the sand as if it were flesh. “Seriously, what kind of Equus are you anyway?!” The dinosaur demanded, Rarity still taken aback by this scenario. “How are you able to manifest weapons like those damned Gigantos?!”  She just stared at him, mouth momentarily opening and closing. “Well? Answer me, Equus!” “Y-you could speak this entire time…?” Rarity inquired genuinely. But her face suddenly morphs into a scowl. “Actually -- who do you think you are, talking to me like that?!” She places a forelimb onto her chest, “I’ll have you know that I am a proper lady, NOT some scrap of meat, as you so rudely put it.” “Bah!” The Dilo dismisses as he leans his head against a claw, irritation present on his features. “Just forget it. Get lost so I can get out of this thing and hunt you down later.” “‘Hunt me down later?!’” She was genuinely stunned by how casually the bound predator before her had said that. “Why -- I never! You selfish, frilled-necked, spiteful little-” Her eyes widened, and she raised her head with a smug expression. An idea came to Rarity… a genuinely ruthless yet fitting idea. Rarity walked forth gracefully, her smug expression locked onto the dinosaur as she approached. “You know, I never got a good look at your level. Seeing as you attacked me and all that.” This garners the predator’s attention, turning his gaze to the encroaching white mare. “I told you to beat it!” He roars out. “Just wait until I get out of this; I’m gonna-” “Oh, on the contrary, darling,” Rarity interjects, standing just a few feet away from the still-bound predator. “I’ve decided to let you go.” “What?” The beast inquires, grinning devilishly. “Ah, is it a fight to the death? I like your style, meat.” “A fight?” She responds with a raised eyebrow, chuckling to herself for a moment before switching rapidly to a stern expression.  “I don’t want to fight you, dearie.” She finishes with a devilish grin of her own. This naturally confuses the predator. That is until Rarity conjures forth a Club from her inventory, wielding it in her right forelimb before resting it on her right shoulder, smacking herself with it a few times.   The dinosaur’s orange, slitted eyes widened. “Oh, no…” “Oh yes, darling.” She steps closer. “I also see that you’re a level eighty-nine.” She licks her lips and raises the club over her head.  If this were one of those neighponese cartoons Fluttershy had sometimes shown her, Rarity would currently be surrounded by a black background with her eyes flashing red.    “You’ll do just… PEACHY!” The sounds of a grunting mare and a screeching entity ensue.  As it so happened, HLN-A was floating nearby, observing the scene unfolding before their visor, flinching after every strike from Rarity’s club. “Well...” The AI starts, flinching again as Rarity brought down her bludgeoning weapon. “That’s, uh, one way to relieve frustration, I suppose. But at least she’s doing ok, now.” -Redwood Biome- Twilight Sparkle sulked into the bed she currently laid upon, a depressing aura radiating from her form, which could easily fill the room or residence she inhabited. The alicorn missed her friends and loved ones dearly. Granted, she achieved what she had intended when visiting the Tribe of Maimuta, just… not in this way. “Everyone…” Her pain is present in the tone of her voice. “I hope and pray that you’re safe with all my being.”  Having to leave the Tribe of Harmony felt like Grok had stabbed her through the heart with the mightiest spear one could muster. And the alicorn dug her head into her forelimbs, muffled sobs emanating from her shivering form. “F-forgive me,” She sobs, “I’m s-so sorry…” Unbeknownst to the weeping mare, Granny Pithecus hid outside the nearby transparent window, observing the weeping alicorn. Granny sighs, face filled with sympathy. “Poor kid.”  The giganto pulls away from her observation and looks forward, spires of redwoods encompassing her surroundings, some even having large wood-comprised platforms etched all around their barks, homes present on these ape-made foundations. One of the very same structures Twilight has been cooped up in. Other Gigantos went about their day peacefully, some traversing from one platform to another via a series of hardened zip lines. Other members guarded several homes and establishments on every platform and wore appropriate attire, a thriving community of ancient apes.   A raptor-like entity crawled up one of the nearby redwood trees to seemingly reach a large beehive, and a single member of the Sky Bats came into Granny's view.  “Hey there, Granny!” The Sky Bat member greets as he passes by. Granny returned the gesture with a waving arm and a smile, but Twilight’s current condition within the ape’s home still bothered her greatly. The elderly ape needed to do something, but what? “Ah need tah get ‘er comfortable and relaxed, make her open to the idea of working her little purple ass off. Ah can’t just have her slacking and sulkin’ fer the rest of time.” She brings a hand to her chin in thought. “Think, ol’ girl, think.” The giganto was also worried about another variable, and while she understood Twilight’s sorrow, the equine needed to show some promise.  “If Grok’s gesture goes without any results from Mejoberry, ah’m afraid of what’ll ‘appen next,” Granny growls, resting her hands on the nearby wooden railing. “Dangit all, if only ah could come up with somethin’ to burst her out of that weepin’ shell. Tch, then again, them egghead types-” The ape’s eyes suddenly widened, a thought occurring in her psyche. “Now hol’ up one savoroot pick’n minute.” Acting fast with a plan in motion, Granny manifests a particular device from her inventory and wields it in her right hand: a radio. The ape brings the device closer to her lips, pressing the button on the radio’s side with her right thumb.  “Hey, Gideon!” Granny’s thumb releases the button, and the radio crackles to life. “Great jumping apes, Granny. You nearly scared me half to death. Also, you have to say ‘Over’ when you finish your sentences. Over.” "Yer a dumbass. Over." "Classy. Over." Granny rolls her eyes. “Now, lookie here: ah need ya to come to mah place on the double. Over.” “But I’m in the middle of teaching my class. Over.”  “Bring the youngsters along, too. Over.” “Are you suggesting a field trip of sorts? Over.”  Granny chuckles. “You could call it that. Trust me; you’re all gonna like this one. Over.” “Ok. You officially have my curiosity, old friend. But what could possibly make you even request such a thing? Over.”    “You know that strange purple Equus you talked to the other day? Well, she’s part of our tribe now. Grok was going to announce it to everyone once Mejo recovered, so take a good guess at who Grok chose to watch over the little purple turd? Over.” The radio goes silent for mere moments, Granny wearing a victorious grin. Then, the device crackles to life again: “We’re all heading there on the Dip-mobile immediately! Over and out!” Granny chuckles to herself, sending the radio away to her inventory before wiping her hands together, another grin forming afterward. “Ah might be old, but ah still got it. Hehehehe.”