//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: A Roc Type of Day // Story: Primordial Conflict // by Jumping Jack //------------------------------// Chapter 7: A Roc Type of Day The morning night felt like it lasted a long while. Maybe Princess Luna slept in a bit? It has happened before. We'd call it daylight savings. But that wasn't the case. That isn't until another couple of months. Regardless of it all, I couldn't go back to sleep. Not that I wasn't tired already. I slept plenty on the train. The entire meeting in my dream replayed over and over in my head. I focused on every bit of what everypony had said. But no matter what conclusion I came too, it just doesn't make sense. I'm one out of seven creatures that is selected as a vessel? It is true that my past behavior has been very un-me like. Nearly burning a pony alive? Setting a booth on fire? Shooting a powerful beam out of my horn that could make even the grumpy and prideful Starswirl himself envious. Starswirl... The lost legend now back from this Limbo. From what I can remember about Limbo in my time at CSGU, it was neither a place here or there. But rather in between. Time standing still and feeling like a thousand lives going by in an instant. Now that I think about it. It must have been strange for Starswirl to get pulled out of time like that. He must be extremely confused and probably wondering why him alone was picked out. Starswirl wasn't the only legend that helped out ponies. There were five others that were called The Pillars of Hope. Each with their own folklore and stories. But they all shared one thing. They disappeared without a single trace. With Starswirl being back, I can only assume that the other Pillars maybe out there, trapped in whatever Limbo they are in. This Pony of Shadows sounds like a hassle for them to have dealt with. But I thought it was just an old pony's tale. 'Quiet, every thought you've been pondering has been making it more obvious that old pony tales aren't really legends and myths.' I thought to myself. I heard a soft cackle in the back of my head. It is quite fun to see you squirm in such confusion. You mortals are quite amusing at times. I blinked and looked over to the window pane. I haven't stepped back into the bed. I was pacing left and right. Thi was still asleep, having switched to her back and looking quite like a slob. I noticed a pair of glowing fiery eyes watching me from the reflection. What was strange was that there was no form behind them. Just slit, predatory eyes watching me. I frowned and shook my head. 'Oh really? Then perhaps I can make it interesting for you. How about you leave my mind and let me be at peace with my own existential problems? I promise, you'll probably like not occupying a messed up mind like mine.' I paused my thoughts. 'Wait... who are you? And why am I now just noticing you?' the cackling echoed through my head, making me groan in pain as it thumped loudly. Such a simpleton. Tis not a dream you had. We were called to the gathering. It was something the dear old serpentine wanted us to see. I then noticed a faint pair of sharp teeth. I furrowed my brows. Maybe if I just close my eyes and picture what I'm talking too, perhaps it would be easier to make a bit more sense of what is happening. I closed my eyes and pictured what I was talking too. Honestly, I could only imagine Princess Celestia. The thought of seeing her reassuring her sister felt a little close to home. Before I knew it, fire erupted around the room. I panicked and looked around. 'Wh-what the!? What is going on!?' I thought to myself. I was finding it hard to scream. Or maybe I was and I just wasn't able to hear it through the loud ringing in my ears. From the fire that rose high in front of me stepped out a long, slender hoof. I took a few steps back, only to stop as I felt a burning singe on my flank. The fire was closing in. As the figure stepped out of the fire, it then unfurled its' wings and dispersed the fire around us. I balked and shrunk pathetically at the creature before me. I must have thought of Nightmare moon mixed with Celestia. A bored looking alicorn looked around. She then examined herself and smirked. Well, now wings are a great improvement than the last time. Sad for my sisters to say the least. They'll have to take the look as well. The creature grinned, bearing a row of sharp teeth. Oooh, I can just see Aquarius toss and roll around like a little child! The creature then saw me and stomped one hoof, raising the small bits of fire around us into a burning blaze. Her chest puffed out and looking quite intimidating. I must thank you for choosing the form. One step closer to ruling this domain. However... She looked at me with disappointment and disgust. Ech. I should have chosen another creature. I was hoping you would grovel at my hooves in praise rather than cower in the corner. I was still speechless. The creature looked around and sighed. Seems like I'm the only one awake right now. Oh well! I'll have my fun eventually. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. She tapped her hoof impatiently. Are you done cowering? I would like to introduce myself so I can at least let you call me by my namesake. I don't know what came over me, but I finally found my voice. "Bucking Celestia what the hell are you!?" I shouted. This woke up Thi. Thi jolted up and grabbed ahold of the bat, looking alert and ready to fight. "Wha? Wha!? What's going on!? Intruder!? Let me at 'em!" she looked around before looking at me. I gave her a hopeful look but worried at the same time. Who knows what this creature is capable of! "Thi! We need to get out now!" I exclaimed. Thi suddenly lowered her bat, giving me a confused look. It was enough for me to give a defeated look. Thi rubbed the back of her head. "Err... why?" she asked. I looked to the creature and she gave an almost evil but amused smile. My instincts kicked in and I suddenly bolted past the creature, taking ahold of Thi by the hoof and suddenly crashing through the window. Thi yelled as we fell down straight into a snow mound that had luckily been building up overnight. The snow cushioned our fall of three stories. The noise made several dogs bark. I dug myself out of the snow and pulled Thi along. "H-hey, Fie! What's the big idea!?" I didn't want to speak. I wanted to get away from whatever was in the room with us. Why was Thi unable to comprehend such a sight? how could she not see the towering alicorn creature in front of us!? We trotted down several blocks before Thi yanked away her hoof. "Knock it off, Fie! What the hell is wrong with you!?" I slumped against the wall, using my hoof to prevent me from falling. I felt sick. My ears pounding and my heart racing. I gasped and looked up, my eyes darting in the sky as I heard the echoing laughter of the creature. You may call me... Din. And from now on, I'll be your lone torturer! The laughter rang in my head and I instinctively placed my hooves against my ears. I crumpled to the ground and shook my head violently. "No! No! You aren't real! You can't be real! I-I don't want to do this!" I shouted. I yelped and cowered back away from Thi when I felt her place a hoof on my shoulder. She gave me a concerned and very worried look. She then knelt down and put both hooves on my shoulder and met my gaze. "Fie! Calm down! It's me! Thi Billette! Your friend! You need to relax! Take a deep breath, look!" she inhaled deeply through her snout. I looked at her, trying to match her breathing as she exhaled. "Come on, Fie, breathe with me." She inhaled again and I followed suite. We exhaled and I felt my panic begin to fade. I closed my eyes and shut out any thoughts of the creature, only focusing on what made me happy. Hotcakes. I took several breaths with Thi before she smiled. "There's my girl. Nice and easy. Slow and steady. Feeling better?" I stopped my deep breathing and sighed, nodding. After a couple of more breaths, I felt myself relaxing. I then curled up against the wall and buried my head into my knees. I heard Thi sit down next to me. The bat against her chest as she leaned coolly against it. I could still hear the creature laughing in the back of my mind. I groaned and peeked out to look at her. "Thi... I..." I began. Thi glanced at me. I bit my lip and sighed. "You... sure you didn't see anything?" Thi cocked a brow but shrugged. "Nope. All I saw was you scared out of your wits. And then dragging me out a window from three stories." She smirked. "But I did see the snow a bit yellow if that is what you mean." I flushed and shook my head. "N-no way! W-well, I don't remember if I did or was too... caught up?" Thi chuckled at my response and I flushed even more, slugging her playfully on the foreleg. "Sh-shut up!" Thi locked a hoof around my neck and noogied me for a bit, letting me go as we both laughed. Thi then leaned back against the wall and sighed. "But to be frank, I don't know what's really going on. All I know is that something strange is going on and you got involved in it." she sighed and looked ahead, her look lost in thought. "This year, the stars will align and the fate of the world will be strewn into a calamity." She looked at me. I exchanged a glance with her and she spoke. "I don't really... know how to react to it all. Sure, I've seen my fair share of weird over the six years I've been away. And there are possibilities that the impossible can be possible. But I've also learned that there are those in the world who will do anything to ensure that it either comes to fruition or want to control it." My mind shot back to the conversation of Ouroboros and Starswirl. One wanting to contain it and the other stating it is hopeless. I sighed and looked ahead with her. "I kinda' understand. Though... lately it seems like my whole life is now spiraling out of control. Not three days ago I was at an underground fighting ring making bits. Took a walk to clear my head and the next thing I knew, I made an unusual 'friend'. And now I'm being told to head to Canterlot for more answers." Thi hummed as she eyed me. "What kind of friend did you make?" She smirked and made a cool motion with her hoof. "Don't worry, I'm not jealous... yet." I gave a small chuckle in response before resting my cheek against my knees. "You wouldn't believe me, but considering what we've been through? Let's just say. He's not a draconiquis. Nor is he the ruler of chaos. Fluttershy has that friend. Mine is more of a chimera pony than anything." Thi tapped her hoof on the bat, waiting patiently for me to finish. I explained to her the pony I met. Everything up till now. I even included my dream and the creature that caused me to have us flee to where we were now. Thi was pondering what I had told her before speaking. "Well, we should probably find a place to wait out the night. If we turn up at the front desk and explain to the mare that you freaked out and jumped out a window, not only would we be paying for damages, we would most likely get kicked out." I looked around before perking up and smiling. I then nudged her and pointed across the street. "They still have that old book store! And it's open too!" I beamed. Thi groaned. "Ugh, you and your bookworm nature. I can't believe you are from the Hoof." I stood up and smiled. "School funding is an issue there. We aren't dumb. The schools just didn't have proper teaching methods or resources." I stated. I then trotted over to the store, forcing Thi to sit up and follow after me. I peeked through the glass door. I smiled as I saw that there were the usual late nighters. Albeit, different ponies. Most CSGU students would spend alot of time here when they couldn't access the archives or were just looking for a good read. This place was a second home to me. I spent many of my CSGU hours here. I always enjoyed a good leatherbound novel when I could. Canterlot had some fascinating stuff to read. I opened the door and a small bell chimed over head. I quietly crept in but Thi barged through and coughed loudly. She got a couple of harsh shushes from the studious ones. Thi nodded. "Yup. Still a boring place. Was this really one of our hangouts?" she asked me. I trotted past her and grinned. "I gave you no choice~ Butch, remember?" Thi frowned and her shoulders slumped. "Oh... right." I found a Daring Doo novel poking out between the shelves and levitated it over to her. "C'mon, Thi. Let's read the night away like we are studying for an exam that is due in a couple of hours." Thi looked at me and the book. She snorted and took the book, heading over to one of the side chairs and plopping down in it. She flipped the book open and her eyes began to scan the pages. I browsed the aisles and pulled out a couple of books that were advance tactics and illusion high level spell casting. My eyes caught onto a dusty leatherbound book in between a psychology journal and a medical herb book. I pulled it out and saw the etched silver design of Starswirl the Bearded on it. I cocked my head slightly before turning around and sitting at one of the desks. I flipped open the book and began reading. The hours ticked on and so far, I had only remembered how much re-reading this book was boring. It was just a fantasy novel biography more than anything useful for the current situation. I sighed and continued on. The night went by and before I knew it, upon finishing the last book I pulled from the shelves, I looked up and saw the sun peeking out through the mountains over head. It then smoothly raised up. I smiled and put the books back in their places. Manners doesn't befit a studious one who neglects to share knowledge with others. I then walked over to Thi, who was conked out with the book on her face. I giggled and levitated the book off of her before closing it and giving her a playful bonk on the head. She snorted awake and looked around. "I'm mistake! I mean, awake." Thi said groggily. She yawned and stretched before getting up and swinging the bat over her shoulder. She looked out the window and smiled. "Good. Now we can march up to Canterlot Castle and demand answers!" She didn't hesitate to barge out of the library. I couldn't help but shake my head with a smile. Good ol' Thi Billette. I followed after her and we stepped out into the middle of the street. Thi pointed in the direction of Canterlot Castle. "Onward and upward!" I smirked as I trotted next to her. "What are you, a knight now?" I teased. Thi scoffed. "The Royal Guard wish they were me! Have you seen the amount of badassness?" she struck a cheesy pose. I rolled my eyes and flicked the bat from under her, causing her to stumble and maintain her footing. "Alright, Ms. Badass. Let's see how well you do against a real Royal Guard." Thi smirked. "Oh what, you're the badass Royal Guard?" she asked. I shook my head and wiggled my hoof lazily back at her. "Nah, I'm from the Hoof! I'd rather just fight my way through life." That can be arraganed... I stopped dead in my tracks. For a moment, I totally forgot there was an omnipresent voice in my head. Thi must have noticed it as well. She cocked her head. "You alright, Fie?" she asked. I nodded and then rubbed my foreleg with my hoof. "W-well, I am nervous about one thing." I turned to look at her. "S-speaking of Royal Guards... I'm kinda' hoping I don't run into... one particular one." Thi smiled. "Oh ho! So, you are the rebel! I knew you didn't like authority!" she exclaimed. I shushed her. "Keep your voice down!" I sighed. "Didn't I ever yell you that... well... my mother is the Captain of the Royal Guard?" Thi seemed to nearly choke on her own air. "What!?" I nodded. I turned and began walking towards the direction of the castle. Thi trotted over to me. "W-wait! You mean to tell me that this entire time, your mother is the Captain of the Royal guard? When were you going to tell me this!?" I gave a dejected sigh and met her look. "I felt like I didn't need too with you. You had enough going on and I... well, personally... I don't like to think much of it." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Let's just say, me and my mom had our... differences." Thi rubbed her chin at me. " Like... different ideas? Different mindsets?" she asked. I shook my head. "Somewhat. But it was a more parental decision conflicted with family duty to the land of Equestria." Thi shrugged. "I'm not following." I nodded. "My mom... well. There was a time in my life I wasn't the healthiest or physically fit pony in Equestria. I was a loser. I was weak. I really only preferred to play games and Ogres and Oubliettes. I had a very... questioning friend group. We kind of fell apart once I moved and... nevermind. What's important was that at some point, I expressed my insecurities with my father and he deemed it necessary to 'find your place' in Equestria. He got my mother in on the idea. Well, more like, it was something they had planned for a while. It eventually lead to me being trained and working out with both my folks during my off time. I had no time for games or hanging out much. I couldn't say no to them. Well... for a while, things were going well and it was nice to spend time with the family. But unlike my dad, my mom had different values in mind." we turned a corner and the castle was becoming ever so taller. "She was ruthless when it came to training me. Not batting an eye as she beat her kid helpless several times. Err... not in the abusive way. But in a competitive way. Which was unfair." I found myself getting angry. "She never took it easy on me and when I wanted to express just hanging out with her, it would just be shut down and lead to more sparring. She was trying to get me to endure the harsh training that comes with training for the Royal Guard. Eventually, I got tired of her consistent beatings and actually tried to fight her. When I improved enough, she... I don't know what happened. But suddenly she did a 180 and started to try and be a mother." I sighed and spat on the ground. "I rejected that and gave her a good taste of her own medicine." Thi winced. "Yeeowch. You suckered punched her?" she asked. I nodded. "After that, my dad got angry with me while my mom was away. I have... never really argued so much in my life. I even yelled and bitched at my siblings who were just third parties to it all. It got to the point that we weren't just seeing eye to eye anymore and training sessions was always just releasing frustration. After graduating from Hoofington High, I moved to Canterlot and well... the rest is history." Thi took a moment to absorb this information. The sky was getting darker. Maybe the clouds were just floating by. It was a cloudy day after all. "So, that explains why you avoided my prying. Worried you'd scare me away?" she smirked at me. I gave a bashful nod. "I just... wanted to start fresh and new. Leave behind what I left and keep it at that. It's been several years since I've seen or heard anything about my family." I sighed. Thi then bounced over to me and wrapped a foreleg around my neck, nuzzling my cheek. "No worries, girl! I got your back! If mean ol' momma comes storming, I got my good ol' Cali here ready!" She swung the bat forward and pointed ahead. I smiled and gave her a playful look. "Cali? You gave it a name?" I asked. Thi nodded. "Yeah? It's the fabled Excalibat. Once wielded by... errr.... I forget exactly. Something, something about crackerjacks." she said. I laughed and that caused Thi to laugh with me. This felt nice. Just us two taking a walk and rekindling years of lost time. I then flicked my ears, hearing something loud and thunderous. We stopped and suddenly the sirens began blaring. We looked around, not noticing that ponies had began their day by mingling about and already out of their house. Panicked murmuring buzzed around us and suddenly ponies were rushing past us. Thi scratched her mane with a hoof. "What is that sound?" I balked and turned to her. "It's the alert siren. It's saying there is a monster in the area." I took ahold of Thi's foreleg. "We have to take cover. It could be that snow storm creature again." It was beginning to get a bit windy than usual. Thi suddenly balked and looked past me towards the sky. "I don't think it's the snow..." I stopped and turned to look up. In the sky, descending from the clouds was a massive bird. It was bigger than the Starswirl tower that was not too far off. It's wings flapping up a small twister like wind as it screeched loudly. Ponies began screaming with one shouting "Roc!!" We quickly rushed over to a cafe, taking cover inside the building. We gathered by the window and looked to see the creature perch itself ontop of the tower. From the distance, we could see the Royal Guard advance and form around the creature. I gulped. I could see one particular guard sticking out from the rest. Her armor designed more sharply than the rest. A halberd at her side. She pointed this way and that, commanding the troops to certain positions. Thi furrowed her brows. "I take it that's momma there." she said to me. I nodded with a slightly confident but still panic expression. I wasn't worried about mom taking on a giant bird of prey. What I was worried about was her realizing I'm here. There are so many factors popping into my head. Ugh, you are so bent out of shape with all these thoughts roaming about. It'd be better if I just burned them all. I heard feathers make for great kindling. I frowned and shook the voice away. We watched the Roc eyed the ponies. The captain then held up the halberd and pointed it. The guards began swirling around the creature. It screeched and flapped its' massive wings, nearly breaking the formation. But the guards were quick to recover. There was a loud distant pop. The captain was zapping the Roc, trying to get it to move. It only shifted slightly. I bit my lip in anticipation. I shouldn't worry. Mom has it handled. But suddenly, the Roc took off, breaking the formation easily and causing several guards to spiral out of control. the captain pointed to the creature as it took off. The ponies around us began cheering as the guards began to led the Roc away. The siren ended and ponies slowly began to emerge from their covers. We exited the cafe and Thi snorted. "Guess the guard is useful for once." she said. There was a loud booming screech over head. The ponies that had just left their cover looked up and began screaming, panic rising again. The Roc was back. It came back around. This is impossible. Rocs are seclusive creatures. They avoid places like Canterlot. What's more importantly, what is a Roc doing out here of all places!? Was it migrating back from winter? Or summer? Do Rocs even migrate? So many questions. But any other questions in my head were soon lost. The bird was getting bigger and closer. I balked as I noticed its' eyes were focused on me. Thi pulled me by the hoodie. "Run, dammit!!" she yelled. We took off. Galloping as fast as we could. The Roc screeched and extended its' claws out to us. Thi panted and tackled me off the road. Just in time as the claw snapped inches from where we were. We went rolling into an alley and she stood up, bat at the ready. I panted for breath as I stood up and got against the wall. "Did that thing just went for us!?" I exclaimed. Thi peeked her head out from the alley and saw the bird taking off and circling. The guards were not far behind. The captain was engaging the creature, zapping it with a powerful spell this time that caused the creature to shriek and swipe at them. I watched in awe as my mother zipped and twirled around the creature. I have never seen her in action before. It was terrifying. I could only imagine if she was enjoying the thrill or not. She always gave off that vibe to me. Hehehe~ Seems our guest wants to play. Perhaps I can help out with a little fire. I suddenly felt my body move on its' own. I jolted out of the alley and into the middle of the road. "Fie!? Get back over here! That thing is going to swoop down again!" I couldn't speak or think anything. My eyes remained focus on the creature. I took a defiant stand and readied myself. Everything felt natural. The motions calm and flowing. The Roc seemed to take notice of my presence. Of course, it is after me! Which could mean only one thing. This was Ouroboros's "help". The Roc blew the guards off their pathing as it dove this time, unfurling only when it was near enough, claws extended. I then felt my body go hot. A small ring of fire formed around me. A ball of fire began to build at the tip of my horn. I took aim and with a loud sheen, the beam fired and hit the Roc square on the beak. It screeched and upon landing, it tumbled and rolled. I yelped and ducked as it soared over me. It crashed over several buildings, causing ponies to scream and run away. The massive creature stood up and screeched angrily. It then looked at me and began hopping towards me. I scrambled to get out of the way as it seemed to study me. I had just hit the side walk when it screeched and was ready to strike out. But a loud pomf of fire hit it square on the side of the head. The Roc screeched and looked to see Thi juggling a fire ball with the bat. "Hey bird for brains! You know what they call the thing in badminton?" she then tossed up the fire ball and with a loud clack of wood, the fire ball soared high and pelted the Roc in the same place, causing it to shriek and flap its' wings. "It's called a birdie!" I groaned as I stood up. "I think you were going for a golf liner, Thi!" I stated as I galloped over to her. Thi blinked and scratched her head. "Oh. What she said!" I managed to tackle her out of the way when the Roc shot out and pecked at her. Thi rolled us over and with another loud clack, a green fire bolt shot out and hit the Roc again, but this time, in the chest. The loud thump that followed caused the bird to back hop away. Just in time too. Thi helped me up as the royal guard descended and began engaging the creature. "Get to safety! We'll handle this!" one of the guards said. Thi shook her head. "At least do something other than let it bat you morons away!" she shouted back. We turned and ran down the road. I looked back and balked as I saw the captain hovering over the bird. I could see her eyes on me. I looked back, almost tripping over a knocked over debris from one of the ruined buildings. We panted as we rushed around the corner. Ponies were beginning to evacuate. "Into the castle walls! You'll be safe there!" one pony shouted. Some of the guards started herding the panicking ponies. We gathered with them and pushed our way through to get in as quickly as possible. Suddenly, the loud screech of the Roc could be heard. Everypony looked up and saw the massive creature taking off from the engagement. It seemed battered, but not beaten. I could see the eyes focused on me. Crap! We were beginning to get shoved. Me and Thi held hooves as we stuck close. Ponies then scattered as I felt the floor beneath me suddenly fall away. I felt the intense rush of wind blow around me. I opened my eyes and panic set in. I looked up and saw that my hoodie was caught on the claw of the creature. But what even terrified me more was that Thi was caught in the claws of the creature. She struggled and beat at the claw with her hoof. "Grrr! Let me go, you dumb bird!! Like hell I'll be eaten by the likes of you!" She then saw me and balked as well. She then reached out her free hoof to me. "Hold on tight, Fie! I won't let you go!" My body was flailing just a little with the intense rush of wind. I noticed that Canterlot was beginning to get smaller and smaller. But I could also see a swarm of Royal Guards chasing after us. I grunted and used my body strength to adjust and free myself of the claw, nearly falling before Thi caught me by the hoof. The bird flapped its' wings twice before changing direction. Tipping itself sideways and causing the world to turn before me. Oh, goddesses what is going to happen to us!? If the Roc drops us in our attempt to free ourselves, I doubt the Royal Guard will have time to catch us. We have to time it just right. Maybe when it drops us at the nest. We could probably take out a few of its' young before escaping. It'll piss off momma for sure, but survival is my top priority. Thi struggled to keep me held. I then had another thought. I could see Thi's little iron friend hanging out of her denim jacket. I reached with my magic and withdrew the firearm. Thi grunted. "Fie, you better make it count! I can't hold on forever!" she struggled. I then twisted myself, climbing up her foreleg before getting my footing on the leg of the Roc. Thi looked at me. "Fie?" I smiled and looked down to her. "Don't worry, Thi. You have to trust me on this one!" I held onto the gun with my magic while using my own strength to climb the creature. You'd be amazed at how hooves work. But I was also using a bit of help with my teeth. Biting into the flesh of the Roc wasn't a delectable taste. But it managed to get me to the lower back after a bit. I then saw several royal guards zip past. They began zapping the creature with their own halberds. It shrieked in anger and I nearly lost my entire balance and footing as well as magic hold of the gun when the Roc decided to twirl. It was slow to do so, but the intense wind made it hard to move at all. I closed my eyes and held on for dear life. The world began to turn as the wings of the massive creature batted the guards away and out of formation. The Roc was circling around the mountain and Canterlot came into view. I opened my eyes and shielded them as best as I could as I began climbing up the back of the creature. It was painstaking as I did my best not to lose my footing. I don't know what came over me. One moment I was fearing for my life and the next thing I know, I'm making my way to the very head of the creature, with an intention to survive. I was hoping to use the fire beam that happened earlier, but the voice was quiet. In fact, I could sense that it was annoyed. Eventually, I reached the head. It screeched as it felt me. Rocs must be very intelligent as I was holding on for dear life when it started to shake its' head a bit. It then began another spiral as Canterlot got closer. The guards must be leading it back so they can safely secure us. But that seemed to be a challenge in of itself. I then saw the captain flying just above. I found most of my confidence losing traction as I found myself hanging on again. Why did any of this have to happen!? Why couldn't I just walk away and continue my quiet life in Ponyville? And just what in the hells am I doing!!? I grit my teeth, my frustration and anger rising as the overwhelming stress bore down on me. I snapped out of my stupor and aimed the firearm at the eye. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger and a blue arcane shock popped out of the barrel. I grazed the eye lid. But it was enough to startled the creature. It stopped in the air and began flapping wildly. I bit down on the head and hugged the neck as it bucked and shook violently. I grunted as I was beginning to feel my grip slipping. Once the creature was tired out of its' flailing, I got ahold of my footing. My muscles were screaming at me. Ignoring the cries, I took aim again and this time, popped the eye again, aiming true. Whatever Thi was packing seemed to work. A little too well. The Roc shrieked loudly as I saw the arcane bullet come out the other end. The Roc then began to spiral out of the air. I held on again, hoping and praying that Thi was still in its claws. She was safer there than where I was. The Roc soared towards Canterlot, nicking the very top of the tallest tower of the castle. The impact was enough to make me lose my grip. I yelled as I felt myself tumbling and falling. I couldn't stop spinning. I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable impact and thought of my guts splattering over the clean streets of Canterlot. But it didn't come. In fact, I felt myself no longer falling. I was flying again. I blinked and looked up to see a blue suite with a lightning bolt striking down the sides. A pair of goggles covering the pony's eyes. But the mane. It looked very familiar. The spikey cerulean colored mane and lilac coating. She was watching, hovering in place. I followed her gaze and saw the massive creature crash with a loud thud just outside of Canterlot. The creature laid still. I panted and felt the adrenalin begin to leave me. The pony that was carrying me began to fly back down. "Man. You are one lucky pony." she said. That was all I could register as everything faded to black. There was a constant droning noise. Almost as if voices were talking. It was hard to make out at first. But eventually, the voices began to get clearer. "... I don't understand what the problem is? You think it was our fault a Roc showed up?" "That is not what I am saying. What I am trying to get at is the recklessness you pulled that nearly caused many more damages and ponies to nearly be injured. We were lucky it landed just outside the gate!" There was a scoff and a hoof stomp. "Please. As if you can do anything about a Roc attack. Why didn't the Princesses or the heroes of Equestria do anything about it? What, did they just think leaving Canterlot to fend against a directionally confused Roc? The Royal Guard certainly proved they couldn't solve it with a good ol' put down." There was frustrated grumble. "We are to protect ponies while protecting the ecosystem and magical stability of our realm! It's the whole point of why she is here now!" Another whinny scoff. "Back off, egg head! Who decided to get you involved in this?" There was another voice. "Please, you two. Can you quiet for a moment? I think she's coming to!" The voice was right. After a bit, my vision blurred, and images returned to my sight. Usually when I pass out from adrenaline draining, the first thing I see is the hospital ceiling. Some beeping noises and maybe a pretty nurse mare tending to me. But seeing that the ceiling was not a stucco plastered texture, it was instead, reaching high and domed. And the bed didn't feel cramped. It felt roomy. And a little more comfortable. I shifted my head and groaned as my head pounded. I sat up, feeling somepony putting a hoof on my back. "Easy, girl. Nice and easy. You alright, Fie?" a familiar voice asked. I looked groggily to my side to see Thi Billette. Surprisingly, she looked no worse for wear from being the clutches of a Roc. Though a few bruises and cuts on her coat showed she didn't exactly get away unscathed. She smiled and levitated a glass of water towards me, which I drank like a wanderer lost in the San Palamino desert. I gasped for breath, having drank a little too much and looked around. Thi wasn't the only one in the room. I saw, to my utter shock, Princess Celestia and Luna on one side of my bed. And a strange, disgruntled looking blue earth pony stallion with a white bed ridden mane and tail at the foot of the bed. Piercing blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at me. Not only that, I saw Ouroboros leaning coolly against the wall, chewing something. I sat up in the bed and rubbed my head. "Urgh... what happened...?" I asked. Thi gave me a playful slug on the foreleg, making me wince and rub my shoulder. "Well, aside from being a reckless idiot, which is my job, you managed to take down full grown Roc!" she said with a smile. I blinked and looked over to the others. They weren't showing as much enthusiasm. But at least the princesses were smiling. The stallion scoffed, adjusting the collar of his yellow scholar robe. "Reckless. Idiotic. You should have left it to the guards. And most importantly, you caused major structural damages to not only the Starswirl Wing, but several residential buildings." he stated. I furrowed my brow and looked him up and down. He stood with a defiant posture. Confidence and yet... stubbornness I can only be too familiar with. Thi snorted and shooed him with a hoof. "Yeah, yeah, egg head. Why don't you go back to your books and exams while you let us be idiots in peace." she retorted. The pony snorted and readjusted his saddle bag. I noticed one of the pouches had a cross on it. Was this pony treating me? A scholar and a doctor? I darted my eyes in thought a bit before rubbing the back of my neck. “Err… thanks for tending to my wounds.” I said. The stallion snorted and turned to the princesses, bowing before turning and trotting out of the door. Thi whinnied in annoyance. “What’s his deal anyway? Isn’t it enough we just survived being eaten by a Roc and survive a fall?” I looked at her worriedly. “I’m… glad that you are safe, Thi. I-I know it was idiotic, but I just… felt my instincts kick in and it was the only thing my fight or flight could do.” I said, bowing my head. Thi arched a brow, her mouth open as if trying to find a way to properly respond to me. I then felt a gentle feathered wing lift my head up and my eyes met the kind eyes of Princess Celestia. “I am glad that our subjects are okay. And frankly, it is our fault we weren’t able to step in. A certain pony made it hard to do anything.” Luna and Celestia looked over to Ouroboros. Luna looking not as pleased as Celestia. Ouroboros chewed something before blowing out a pink bubble. Bubble gum? An eldritch being chewing on… bubble gum? When the bubble popped, he shrugged. “I will apologize for keeping the Princesses occupied. But for my first bit of help, I figured I’d let fate play its’ part.” He then looked up to the ceiling and rolled his paw. “In a ‘attracting a migrating Roc’ kind of way.” He said matter of factly. I frowned. “So it was you… you were also responsible for pushing me here. Your little summons with the others.” I said. Ouroboros smiled, a fang protruding the side. “Guilty! But that is all pretty much on the nose. You should be asking the right questions rather than the obvious.” I heard Thi growl but I gave a reassuring pat on her shoulder before responding. “Then I want to ask this simple question. What exactly caused you to manifest into our realm? It has to be more than balance.” I saw Ouroboros grin, his snake like tail waving unnaturally. “Meh, a good question. And one I can answer simply.” He pushed himself off the wall and stepped up to the foot of the bed. “It is no lie that the balance of this realm is in fact danger, and being a… power of balance, it is my job to maintain it. That being said, the seven that need to be found decided to make this their little playground.” He then held out his paw and I felt something lurch inside of me. Without any control of myself, I noticed that every pony in the room except for Ourboros had to shield their eyes. As quickly as that lurching feeling came, it faded just as quickly. I slumped and coughed, looking up to see a small fire wisp in front of me. “I take it you are already acquainted with Din. The middle eldest of the seven. The power element of fire. Matching that of her desire to set this realm into nothing but a fiery plane.” He sighed and playfully poked the wisp, causing it to shift and hover away from him. “Din has the most potential to do so. Buuut, she has a bad habit of picking questionable vessels.” Silence, wyrm! How dare you stir me from my slumber and pull me from my vessel!! I’ve had quite enough of your meddling in my desire! A loud and ghostly voice emitted from the wisp. Ouroboros then held up a claw and pinched the air. In a small flash of light, a gem manifested in his claw. There was a growl from the wisp. Cur! I did not give permission for my vessel to use my power freely! Give that back, this instant! Ouroboros flipped the gem in his claw, catching it before tossing it to me. I caught it in my magic and hovered it to me. It was just a plain, amber gem. But upon closer inspection, there were small groves and cuts that resembled etching on it. “Another favor from me. Do not worry. You still have two call ins. With your fight against my Roc, I feel that you have well deserved it. This will take the form of whatever is befitting to you.” He smiled. “So long as your courage burns brighter like Din’s wishes.” I wasn’t sure how to respond. Me and Thi remained quiet, looking at the gem. I wasn’t sure if any pony was thinking much or had something else in mind. What I did get out of everything that happened just now. We are completely and utterly hopeless to an eldritch being’s amusement.