//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17: Infamy and Misfortune 
// Story: Primordial Conflict 
// by Jumping Jack 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 17: Infamy and Misfortune.


The new day started with my companions being quiet. I chewed on my hotcakes, enjoying the savory taste while everypony were doing their best to not touch their food. Scribble was scribbling in his journal as usual. But Cloudchaser and Flitter were much more quiet than usual. The same goes for Thi. She was poking at her eggs and toast, looking bored and uninterested. I finished up my hotcakes and took a nice swig of milk before looking at everypony worriedly.

"Uhhh... did I miss something while I was knocked out cold?" I asked. No pony responded and I found my panic beginning to rise. Did I do something yesterday? Why is everypony being so... stranger than usual? I took a quick peek at Scribble's journal, but it appears that whatever he was writing was incomprehensible with his hoof writing. When he saw me taking a peek, he closed his journal and looked to me, causing me to shrink back a bit. "S-sorry. I won't disturb you any longer." I said with a nervous smile. Thi looked up from her food and the sisters did the same. I looked between each of them and tapped my hoof tips together nervously. "Err... I'm... sorry for whatever I did?" I asked unsurely. Thi sighed and put her fork down.

"Alright, I can't stand this anymore. How are you not fazed by the news?" she asked. I blinked and cocked my head quizzically. Was she talking about the dream I had? But... If so, then it should be an obvious answer to them. I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I'm... My dream was real and it was being broadcasted Equestria wide?" I asked, recalling the dream. Their looks gave me the confirmation. I sighed and started to twirl the fork on the head end on the table with my magic. "Of course, I'm fazed by it. I was there. Well, not really, but subconsciously, yes." I said. Cloudchaser tapped her hoof on the table.

"So, what else did you see with that announcement? With Ouroboros making an appearance, there had to be more to it. It's all the ponies here are talking about. And considering we have several eyewitnesses who can describe you and Sharp Eye, you've both had a massive target painted on you." she said. I rested my cheek on the table and found my fork twirling to be more interesting. Flitter nodded.

"Before we can even set hoof outside of Appleloosa, we'll be swarmed by news ponies who want an exclusive interview. And with Equestria changing and Starswirl's message, you are center stage with the rest." she said. I groaned and stabbed my fork into the table softly.

"I know all of that. I don't know how we can properly get around it. It's going to take more than just using my clone as a decoy and Thi's springboard spells." I said. Thi nodded.

"I don't have the mental capacity to launch a wagon. And now we can't take the express either. There'll be too much attention drawn to us." She said. She then pointed at me. "So, before we get swarmed by paparazzi, tell us what else there was to that announcement. There is no silver lining with Ouroboros making an appearance as CC said." she crossed her hooves and looked at me sternly. I took a moment, closing my eyes and choosing my words carefully. When I opened them, I explained to them what happened. How Ouroboros was still tormenting Starswirl for being an old crone with no friends and an ambition that Ouroboros believes he can't acquire. How he purposely called me to sit with him during the announcement (which to my mixed emotions, I was a burning wisp of fire in the footage on the hologem TV currently overhead and replaying the announcement) and then Sharp Eye apparently found her key at some point. I saw Scribble's look darken from that. When I told them that more and more figures began showing up before Ouroboros disappeared, I detailed every silhouette I could remember. My head was still reeling from a hangover. Once I finished, I took my final swig of my milk. Thi frowned as she thought.

"So... Ouroboros did all of that to get the others to activate their key? Which means they already found it before we did?" she asked. I shrugged.

"I plan on asking that with Sharp Eye. Unless... Scribble has something to say about it." I said. Scribble opened his journal and flipped to a page.

"I asked Galavance last night to see if I can get a bit more research from Rita. The Thunder Bird was cooperative and made me realize that if we approach beasts in a certain way, they don't need to be hunted as much. It's... given me some reconsideration in to H.A.A.C.'s partnership with M.E.S.S." He waved a hoof before pointing in his journal. "Besides that, Sharp Eye accompanied us as she had finished up apologizing to those she felt need it. We took a single wrong turn in the Canyon and ran into another distortion. Similar to yours. Sharp Eye won against it in a sniping competition. After that, she passed out. She's still resting in the room." he explained. Flitter frowned.

"Wish I could have been there... I'd love to see Sharp Eye's skills put in use that isn't against us." she pouted.

"Well, until then, I'm stuck with you." a voice said. The tall griffon, Sharp Eye, tipped her hat with a smile as she walked over to us. Flitter's eyes lit up in a star struck manner and Cloudchaser rolled her eyes playfully. Sharp Eye looked at me and her expression changed to concern. "I know it was sudden. I wasn't expecting myself to pop up there either. It looked like they were just about done with an announcement." she said. Everypony at the table, including me, nodded. I pointed to the hologem TV above us.

"They've been replaying it almost every hour for those that may have missed it. It'll be an entire day thing until... I don't know... we end up finding another bearer of a power element and end up causing another catastrophe." I sighed. Sharp Eye rubbed her foreclaw leg and I felt guilty for bringing it up. Nice job, Fie. Keep rubbing salt in the wound. It's only funny when it is mentioned towards you. Ignoring my negative frustration, I picked my head up from the table and tossed my hood over my head. "Sorry, Sharp Eye." I began. "Just still trying to recover from a hangover." Cloudchaser arched a brow.

"I'm surprised that you didn't dig into the second one. You looked like you were ready to drown yourself silly." she said. I opened my saddle bag and withdrew the bottle. I hummed in thought. It's too early to be drinking. And it was taking up a little too much space in my saddle bag. I then perked up and smiled.

"Sigma!" I stated. There was a loud crack that made everpony in the saloon jump in panic. Lavender Heart bowed to me by the table. Thi clutched her chest.

"Don't do that so suddenly!! It's bad enough with a lightning bird!" she rasped. Considering that being on the down low was now no longer an option here, I turned to Lavender, who smiled at me.

"How can I be of help to you, Mistress Fire?" she asked. I held up the bottle and shook it. I then put it in her hoof.

"I should check up on you gals a little more. I got carried away and grabbed another bottle. You four should help yourselves. Don't go too crazy now." I said with a smile. I don't know what came over me, but I couldn't help but think about Galavance. With Scribble mentioning Rita, Galavance's enthusiasm came back to me. Lavender Heart cocked her head.

"Are you sure it is okay for us to indulge in this?" she asked. I wiggled a hoof.

"I'll make it a new rule. Tell the others that you are free to help yourself to any celebratory manners, such as drinking, baking cakes or throwing a party as long as it is well deserved. This is an on the house type thing." I winked at her. Lavender Heart studied the bottle and hummed. She then bowed and looked to me with a smile.

"Very well. Is there anything else I can help with?" she asked. I shook my head.

"You're dismissed. Hope you girls are doing well." I said. Lavender Heart smiled and nodded.

"The house is still standing, mistress. Rest assured, we are taking care of everything there." she said. And with that, there was another loud crack that rattled the saloon and Lavender Heart was gone. I then rubbed my chin.

"Say... that's not a bad idea. If we get overstuffed with our preparations, I can have the girls come by and hold onto some stuff. Err... so long as it doesn't clutter the house. I do still live there." I said. Everypony gave me a dejected look. "What?" I asked.





Just as we expected. The moment when we stepped out, we were suddenly greeted by ponies who recognized us. Thankfully, it seems that the news ponies were somewhere else. But we quickly tucked our preparations in the wagon and we were off, waving to the ponies who congratulated us on saving Appleloosa and even some gifts I wasn't expecting. We left Appleloosa, seeing that both Old and New were celebrating their survival victory against the catastrophic event. I sighed and looked over to Sharp Eye. Sharp Eye saw me and I gave her a soft smile. She returned it. We made it just on the outskirts of Appleloosa before we were stopped by Galavance. She was waving to us before flying over.

"I'm glad I caught you guys just in time! I just want to say, thanks for everything! You guys really saved our hides." she said. Cloudchaser brushed her snout coolly.

"Yeah, I know we're awesome." she said with a grin. Flitter rolled her eyes and nudged her. Cloudchaser shrugged at her. I stepped forward and slightly waved my hoof.

"I'm sorry we can't stay and help with the search for Little Braveheart. She couldn't have gone too far from Appleloosa." I said. Galavance sighed and nodded.

"That's the thing. I asked Rita if she could help, but when she went out for food, she didn't remember picking up any little buffalo." she said. I blinked and a look of realization came over me. Scribble caught my look and nodded.

"She's lucky to be so small that even Rita can’t be bothered." Scribble said. Galavance nodded.

"I asked her if she was okay with anything else, but there were no bigger prey around." Galavance scratched her head. "I'm sure we'll figure something out. I'm certain the buffalo would be glad to not have to do any more... err... ritualistic things." she said with a determined smile. I felt my envy rise again and I sighed.

"Okay, I give up. How do you do it, Gal?" I asked. Galvance blinked.

"How do I do what?" she asked, scratching her head. I motioned to her and looked a little exasperated.

"So... upbeat. So happy. When your time comes, you'll be turned into a Thunder Bird. Are you seriously okay with that fate?" I asked. Galavance shrugged.

"Hey, we all thought what it would be like to be a different creature at some point. I think it's a cool idea if I had the ability to command lightning. And, it'll be an interesting second chance at life." she said casually. I slumped. But Galavance continued. "Though, I know that the beings you both carry inside of you aren't as... pleasant as being turned into a Thunder Bird is. But I'd just look at it this way. You are still you by the end of it. And if you can learn to accept the faults and the issues you have, you'll appreciate yourself a little more. Like I did. I was a seclusive loner in Griffon Stone before those ponies came by and showed me through Gilda that we can make up for our actions in the past and live better moving forward. Because you know how to tackle them." She pat my shoulder gently. "At this point, I think you have a good idea on how to manage yourself a little better under the influence of primordial control. If that makes any sense. And I'm certain Sharp Eye and you can exchange notes too. It just seems the only logical thing to do. But you'll both feel better." I looked to Sharp Eye, who returned my look. I then bowed my head.

"You're incredible, Galavance." I said. Galavance flushed and rubbed her beak with a claw.

"J-just doing my duty as a deputy, you know? Don't be strangers coming back to Appleloosa! Good luck on your journey!" she waved to us. As she flew off back towards Appleloosa, I turned to Sharp Eye and she turned to me. She then nodded.

"Like you said. Let's take a page out of her book." she said. I gave a soft smile and turned back to walking forward with the rest following. I sighed and thought about everything that had happened. How I can change my way of thinking to better fit the outcome of what is clearly waiting for me and Sharp Eye? I thought back to the "dream", seeing the spectral silhouettes of the other creatures. At that moment, Ouroboros had opened the eyes of the world. The threat is real and only seven power elements can help restore harmony and balance. I can only imagine what kind of plan is being set up. Will the Elements of Harmony take frontline once we are all gathered, facing whatever dark being that caused the disruption in the first place, using our powers to boost their own magic along with the princesses' own magic to banish the evil and restore it all? I had another thought. Will the end of it... kill us? Twilight and the others would be fine. But for us... I feel like... being used in a way would most certainly seal our fate. We'd be the ultimate sacrifice to Equestria. The saviors that will eventually be held in honor and then some centuries later, forgotten by time.

All things come to an end. Legends are only buried. Never have died.

I nodded in agreement with the voice. Starswirl is a legend and he's still kicking. Though for a time, ponies thought he had vanished and we only have his own notes and left over knowledge of his time in Equestria to remember him by. What can I leave behind? I shook my head and frowned. No, I shouldn't think that far ahead. Galavance would have accepted that as being okay, so I should too. I'll cross that bridge when I get there, right? At least, that's what I'm hoping I'm picking up from all of that. As I thought about this a bit more, another one popped into my head. I reached with my magic into Scribble's bag and withdrew the notes. Scribble sighed and looked at me with a bit of annoyance.

"It's okay to ask if you should dig through my things." he said with a tinge of annoyance. I gave him an apologetic smile before shuffling the papers. I put aside mine and Sharp Eye's notes before spinning the rest of the papers around me. I looked between them and hummed in thought.

"So, I know Starswirl said we should check out Manehatten. And as much as that sounds fun, we should also think about where we should head too next. If all keys have been found, then we can at least figure out the general area of where they are." I said. Cloudchaser, Flitter and Thi looked over my shoulder as I tried to pick out one that seemed to make the most sense. Thi, in no surprise, pointed at one of the papers.

"Oh, that one looks interesting. Seems it's going to be in the Marsh Lands area." she stated. I squinted my eyes at the paper she was pointing too, reading the clue:

Where the walkers of water sleep
Doth the winds sweep.
Through fog and mud, you must overcome.
Till the rising tide hums.

I tilted my head this way and that, looking at Thi quizzically.

"How did you get Marsh Water from that?" I asked. Thi smirked.

"I've passed by it several times in my own misadventures. It's home to a tribe of waterfolk. Fish creatures in a sense. It's like a hunting slash gathering society. Very basic. But the folk are seclusive. They do their best to hide from most creatures that wander in. Unless they feel threatened. Then they'll attack. But from my travels, they didn't seem to mind me." she said. She then pointed at the words. "Where the walkers of water sleep. The waterfolk. Doth the wind sweep. I'm guessing that's mentioning the element of air. Through fog and mud, you must overcome. Till the rising tide hums." She scratched her head. "I know fog and mud makes it obvious that the Marsh Lands is the only place like that. Froggy Bottom Bog isn't full of water for the waterfolk to inhabit. And I doubt there are any walkers of water there aside from Hydras." she explained it so casually that I slumped. I looked at the others and decided that we should go for the Marsh Lands. I stuffed the papers back in Scribble's bag, much to the stallion's chagrin. Cloudchaser rubbed her head.

"What about the one passage? Till the rising tide hums?" she asked. Thi tapped the bottom of her chin with her hoof tip in thought.

"Hmmm... Seems to mention a tide. Perhaps something of the lunar cycle? I don't think marshes get tides in unless it's referring to monsoon rain." she suggested. Scribble chimed in.

“Or, just to throw it out there, the element of water floods the marsh and it turns out wind and water are fighting each other.” He said. We grew silent before Scribble waved a hoof. “Only a small joke.” He said. Thi facehoofed. My ears flicked as I heard some disturbance in the distance. I looked ahead and saw a pony galloping towards us.

“Help!! Help!! Our caravan is being attacked by monsters!!” She cried out. I looked to the others and rubbed the back of my neck.

“Well, we aren’t that under the dark anymore. Might as well help out where we can.” I said.





Two weeks have gone by since the incident in Appleloosa. With the awakening of all seven now active, the roads had become more and more dangerous. Monsters, natural and manifested, have been terrorizing across Equestria. News got out about the attacks and it wasn’t long until Princess Celestia had ordered her troops to make encampments and checkpoints near towns and hamlets.

Ouroboros has made only a couple of appearances during the many planning events. All the leaders from Mount Eris to Yakyakistan have been seen gathering to Canterlot Castle. Celestia and Luna agreed to aid them by sending small platoons of her own troops to defend the borders. The yaks weren’t happy about that, but they came to a compromise that Prince Rutherford would mandate and lead the patrols. Throughout our traveling, we’ve helped some small villages and hamlets by taking care of rogue monsters or aiding their troubles.

Our group was soon known to be a troupe of traveling creatures that rushed in and slayed the ones that no normal weapons would have any affect on. Well, me and Sharp Eye did. The rest were either helping the ponies get to safety and helped in distractions. We spent our nights around a camp fire, singing some songs in traditional pony fashion (much to Scribble’s annoyance and Sharp Eye’s awkward spectating as she isn’t the type to sing). I found myself enjoying the company. I never had so much fun with any group before.

Flitter was being taught a little more archery by Sharp Eye and the two were quick to hit it off. She would brag a little about now knowing how to make proper bodkins and shrap heads. Sharp Eye’s bow had a new accessory to it. She had fashioned her stone that was nearly similar to mine, but green in color, as a pendent that hung at the very top of the bow curve. She stated how her mother used to make pendants for a living back home. How she would weave the wealthiest gem and stone she could. I thought it was a nice skill to have. We also had our camp nights turn into small competition and sparring matches.

I tried to go up against Thi with her firearm, but considering I’ve never used one before, I had to learn basic gun safety from her after I nearly blew my own horn off. Once I got the hang of it, I was able to maintain a good posture and figured out how to aim and when to shoot. Thi told me that I’d only get better with more aim training. Cloudchaser and I have been doing friendly sparring stuff. I’ve noticed that Cloudchaser was a bit rusty as it seemed she hasn’t had a decent match in a few years. But going against me has helped her improve her instincts a little more. Which made me happy. A little too much.

I even gathered the courage to sit next to her without panicking. Those nights were the best for me. Cloudchaser did mention however that she would like a weapon of her own later down the line. She didn’t think what would be good for her. I had her use my quarterstaff against me a couple of times just to see, but she ended up hitting herself a little too much for her liking. Scribble is still his usual self, but he’s been brainstorming on how he can make some rune rocks on the fly for situations that called for it if he ran out of prep. He even gave us pouches and some spare rocks for us just in case. I honestly couldn’t wait to see how it would go. “Two of every kind inside. Make sure they count.” He said. Most of the time, Scribble would seclude himself from the group for a bit before joining us. When we were saving ponies, I found he has amazing skill and depth perception when tossing out the spells. He could probably chuck a firebolt across the whole Buckball Stadium.

The heros of Equestria have also been busy on their end. I’ve been updating Twilight every other day to ensure that she and her friends are aware of certain events going on out on the roads. Princess Celestia and Luna even had gone out to help ponies while balancing diplomatic issues. I don’t know how they do it, but they have to be running on fumes. I guess that makes up for the heroes to take their stead when the princesses are preoccupied.

The Crystal Empire even has offered to aid Canterlot with their own troops. The world felt like it was ready to go to war. But the threat was the forces that they need to use to maintain balance. This whole time we are in is crazy for anypony to be in. Din and Gaia have been quiet ever since their fight. It was almost concerning since we had expected them to start hissing insults at each other. But I guess we should be thanking our lucky stars that they haven’t initiated a full on second Red Canyon.

By the time the second week was coming to an end, we were just on the outskirts of Manehatten. We camped on a hill overlooking the city. The lights shone against the twilight sky. I sat by the edge and looked over the city. Somewhere down there, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were looking into a disturbance. It was almost concerning to hear that they haven’t been able to find anything for the past two weeks and they were fixing to call it quits. But Starswirl insisted there is something brewing in the streets of Manehatten.

There was no fighting the stallion’s stubbornness. At least, not like how Ouroboros does it. He’s an eldritch being compared to us. Starswirl would make quick examples of us. But Ouroboros would make an even worse example of him if allowed. And considering I’m Ouroboros’s favorite right now, I fear for the fate of the other vessels. Speaking of vessels, word has been getting out about some rumors of the vessels being spotted in certain areas. But, there was no definitive proof. We just have to follow where the monument sayings lead us. Thi sat down next to me and put a foreleg around me.

“Not going to try another round of target practice?” She asked. I shook my head.

“No. I’m just… disappointed in the sky right now and it really isn’t making me that excited. Just something about seeing the stars in the skies made all the travel worth while. But, being this close to the city. You can’t even see any.” I sighed. Thi looked up to the sky and smiled.

“Yeah. I get what you mean. These past two weeks have been a blast and a half. More or less. Everypony is getting along. We saved several settlements and most importantly, you got to be a bit closer to CC.” She winked and smirked. I flushed and rubbed the back of my head.

“O-oh… I mean, I’m happy about that. But…” I began, but wavered. Thi pat my shoulder.

“Disappointed not just in the stars missing, are ya’?” She asked. I nodded and rubbed my foreleg.

“I… I really want to tell her how I feel. But, it’s too soon to really bring it up. She appears to be okay around me. But… I’ve never asked her her preference.” I bowed my head. “I’m really… scared about bringing up that question.” Thi looked ahead to the city and hummed in thought.

“Well. You’ve been pretty brave so far for everything else.” She said. I shook my head.

“Everything I’ve done has been fight or flight. Apparently, I just have the fight more than flight like most ponies.” I said. Thi looked at me with a stern look.

“Then what have we’ve been doing the past two weeks? You’re always the first to jump in. You went against a force of nature. No pony I know can say the same.” She said. I frowned.

“Twilight and her friends would probably say otherwise.” I said. Thi rubbed the back of her head.

“Well, yeah. They have saved Equestria many times. But if you think about it, this is something they need full help with. Tirek was a singular threat. But the whole world is going up against the forces of nature and from what was broadcasted on TV, it’s not something anypony can handle. You and Sharp Eye were at the forefront of it.” She said. I frowned in thought.

“What were the chances of a couple of freelance journalists being petrified in wood?” I asked. Thi sighed and shrugged.

“Girl, we were preoccupied trying to prevent the whole thing from getting worst. There is nothing we could do even if we tried. Take it from me, journalists are quiet tricky to bargain with. The really good ones at least.” She said. I sighed again and kicked a stick down the hill. Thi rubbed the back of her head. “Look, Fie. I know you don’t like the attention, but you don’t seem to even think about any of that. You literally jump in at the first sign of trouble and already dealing with it. You’ve even planned on the spot. I’d say you are taking more pages out of other hero books than just Galavance.” She said. I didn’t respond.

“These past weeks have shown me that you are still that same nerd I met back in CSGU.” She began. I arched a quizzical brow. Really? I’m still the same as I was back then? I tilted my head in confusion, but Thi continued. “Yeah, you weren’t ready to jump into a fight right away. But you always had the best interest at heart without being stepped over. And when you were set at solving the issue, you didn’t stop until you were told otherwise. I’ve never seen a pony study so much and go in with confidence only to flunk after.” I only nodded in response.

“I honestly was already on my way to flunking most of my classes. Archeology seemed like the only thing I had any real knack for.” She then looked down to her flank. The triad cutie-mark. “I honestly thought I’d have one as a map. But whatever this is, it apparently meant I was for archeology. I never understood what this symbol fully meant. Still… trying to find that out. But you, Fie. You had your life figured out. And you were willing to fight for it. Just exactly like you are doing now.” She smiled. “I knew you were a tough pony from a tough neighborhood. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to be your friend.” I remained quiet but I darted my eyes in thought. I looked to her and felt a strange welling sensation. Thi balked and waved her hooves in front of me.

“Whoa, easy there. N-no need for the puppy dog eyes. Just looking out, is all.” She said. I sniffled and wiped my eyes. I then smiled.

“You’re a total ass, you know that Thi?” I said with a chuckle. Thi smirked.

“Feeling a bit better? See? If you have to courage to fight for your studies, friends and other ponies, you can have the courage to ask CC that important question.” She said. I then wavered a bit.

“B-but… what if it is what I feared?” I ask. Thi smiled and slugged me playfully.

“Well, at least you’ll see it coming and save yourself a lot of heartache. You were usually in a relationship anyway when the uhh… shit hits the fan.” She said. I thought about it a bit more. She’s right. I’ve done a lot in the past weeks. Even more so than before this whole fate of our world thing happened. I should have learned my lesson then. And I’ll do just that. Face the day. I took a deep breath and stood up. I then turned around and marched over back to the camp. Thi stood up and followed after me.

Cloudchaser, Flitter and Sharp Eye were chatting away while Scribble occasionally had chimed in. I took a seat across from the sisters while Thi took a seat next to Scribble, picking up her bowl and happily enjoying her potato stew. Cloudchaser then looked to me and smiled.

“So, what do you think, Fie? Think about taking a look around Little Neighpon?” She asked. I blinked and flushed at being addressed.

“S-sure! I-I don’t mind. Err… Little Neighpon?” I asked, realizing how quickly I agreed to something. Dammit, me! Think for once in your life when talking to a pretty mare! Cloudchaser nodded.

“Yeah. It’s a small block in Manehatten where you can experience some Neighponese cuisine and some stores you’d find over seas. Maybe I can find the missing volumes of Particle Mare there.” She said. I perked up suddenly.

“You… read those type of books?” I asked, my heart fluttering a bit. Cloudchaser nodded.

“Here and there. I’m currently interested in Particle Mare right now.” She said. Thi cocked her head.

“I thought that you were into that magical pony show?” She asked. I blushed but held up a hoof.

“We drank through that show, remember?” I said. Cloudchaser smiled.

“Eh, never really heard of it. But I think a robotic mare that can transform into the size of any particle and stop atoms from exploding is a pretty cool idea.” She tapped her chin. “Thinking about it. The creatures in that comic aren’t really aware of how much danger they are in. One split of the atom and boom.” She said. That sounds like a cool idea for a story. I leaned forward with invested interest.

“Really? I’ve only ever made it to episode three before putting it aside.” I said. Cloudchaser nodded.

“The show doesn’t do it justice. The comics are where it is at. And the creator stated that some fan made stuff can be semi-canon to the universe it takes place in. Like a whole separate multiverse.” She said.

“Nerds.” Both Thi and Flitter said in unison, Thi looking blissful with her soup while Flitter gave a teasing smile. I flushed, but Cloudchaser laughed and rubbed her spiked back mane.

“Hey, don’t knock it till you try it.” She said happily. I found myself having more interest in the mare. We kicked off a conversation between each other over more comics and shows as well as anything eastern oriented.

We must have talked a little late into the night because everypony else had turned in. We decided not to disturb them by heading back over to the hill, overlooking the city. I sighed happily, feeling my mood increase dramatically. I don’t know how late it was, but we eventually laid back on the grass and kicked back, making a guessing game of where the constellations were. We finally calmed and just stared into the sky. There were no stars but one with me tonight.

“So, Fie. I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Cloudchaser began.

“Yes?? Ahem… err… I mean… yes?” I asked, getting a little too excited. Cloudchaser smiled.

“These past weeks have been a blast and I can’t thank you enough for allowing me and my sis for taking this opportunity to do something more with ourselves. I’ve been meaning to ask, what really made you think we were okay to be personally selected?” She asked. I flushed and tapped my hoof tips shyly.

“N-no reason. Not anything… errr… personal…” I lied. Cloudchaser continued to stare up at the sky.

“There has to be more to it. I’ve been running the question in my head over and over. But everything doesn’t make much sense. Flitter may not think about it much, but it does bother her why we were personally selected.” She turned her head to me. “Was it because of the night before?” I felt my panic begin to rise. Oh no… Fie, you fool! Things were going so well!! I was screaming internally but answered.

“N-not really. W-well, partially. B-but I overheard you uhh… stating you wanted to do more for yourself.” I squeaked. Cloudchaser slumped.

“Right. Forgot you overheard us.” She said with a soft smile. I turned to look at her and met her pretty eyes. Cloudchaser arched a brow. “Something on my face?” She asked. I nodded and heard myself speak.

“Just those cuUUUUhhh… cuu-uuhhh…” I caught myself before I could go any further. I then gave her a blank, flustered look. “I like your mane.” I blurted out, scrunching my muzzle. Cloudchaser studied me, as if trying to understand what just happened. She then pat her hoof to her mane and shrugged.

“Oh yeah. I get that question a lot. My mane is actually naturally like this. I’m not sure if I can properly comb it enough to get it to stay in any other style. Not complaining though.” She said with a smile. I felt myself jump for joy on the inside. Yes!! Thank Celestia, she’s oblivious! Avoided another awkward conversation! Ehehe… heh… dammit. I frowned. Well, there went my shot. I sighed and I thought about it a bit more. I then turned to her, sitting up.

“Uhh… Cloudchaser…?” I began. Cloudchaser blinked and looked at me, still kicking back on the grass. I took a deep breath, rubbing the top of my hoof nervously. “I… there is something else to it as to why I picked you and your sister. It wasn’t just me taking pity on you for wanting to do more.” I rubbed the back of my head. “I… made a grave error in my judgement. You see… I picked you two out without any prior knowledge to how you two would be able to handle anything. I only found out through Rainbow Dash that you both had some skill. Thi… called me out for it. All those first times hanging out were me testing to see if you both were up for it. And… maybe make me feel better that I didn’t nearly mess everything up.” Cloudchaser finally sat up, looking at me with concern.

“What do you mean?” She asked. I sighed, clasping my hooves together to support me leaning forward a bit.

“I… I brought you both along… because I thought you two would be able to help me gain more confidence in myself. And… because…” I found myself choking a bit on my words. I was feeling embarrassed. So much so that I was beginning to panic and fidget a lot more. Cloudchaser put a reassuring hoof on my shoulder and smiled at me.

“Hey. Like you said. It’s okay to vent to me if you want. I’d say we got a good start going in our friendship.” She said. I studied her, my look of guilt displayed on my face heavily. I took another deep breath.

“Cloudchaser. I lo-“ Suddenly, the night sky lit up in so many colors. Followed by a series of loud, thunderous booms. We looked over and gapped as we saw the spectacle that was the Sonic Rainboom. Rainbow Dash’s own signature. However, the trail was leading from a towering building, that was erupting into explosions and flame. We saw as the rainbow trail sliced through the sky, sailing just over head and then crashing in the distance. I stood up quickly as there were distant sirens blaring from the city along with distant screams. I pressed my ear.

“Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash, what happened?! Are you there, Rainbow?!” I said, my tone turning into worry. There was only garbled interference. Cloudchaser grit her teeth and took off into the sky towards the smoking crash area. I galloped past the tents as my companions were poking their heads out.

“Fie?? What’s going on?!” Thi stated, nearly tripping out of her sleeping bag. I didn’t stop to speak. I only looked over my head as I entered the wooded area.

“Get Twilight on the link bud! Hurry!!” I cried out before leaping over a fallen log. I panted as I galloped as fast as I could, tripping over a few sticks and rocks but continuing towards the rising smoke signal. When I finally found the site, I saw Cloudchaser heaving herself up from a crater, Fluttershy on her back and Rainbow Dash by the scruff of her neck. I gasped. Fluttershy had several bruises and cuts on her and what appeared to be a lash mark across her cheek. Rainbow Dash however looked worser than anypony I’ve ever seen. Her wings were bending in so many places. Her body lolled as Cloudchaser brought her out and laid her down. I rushed over and my expression turned grim. Her right foreleg was twisted in the opposite direction. She had a swollen face as well.

“Fie!? Fie where are you?!” I heard Thi shout.

“We’re over here!” I called out. Sharp Eye was the first, landing right in front of us. Her eyes widened and studied the site.

“What in tarnation?” She began. Thi, Flitter and Scribble finally caught up and Scribble immediately went to check on Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. He turned to Flitter.

“Flitter, disinfect Fluttershy’s wounds and use the salve to help with the cuts and bruises.” He said, pulling out a medkit and giving it to her. Flitter was horrified by the sight. But seeing the medkit, she nodded and quickly tended to Fluttershy. He sat down next to Rainbow Dash and began having her drink several potions he had pulled out. I heard Rainbow Dash cough and sputter before taking a weak and raspy breath.

“F…Flutter…shy…” she rasped. Scribble looked to me and Thi.

“Fie. I need you to hold down Rainbow Dash. Thi, help me pop her foreleg back in place.” He said. Me and Thi scrambled. I held down Rainbow Dash as Scribble and Thi held onto her foreleg. “Roll it.” Scribble and Thi began rolling her foreleg. There was a lot of popping going on in not just her foreleg. I heard Rainbow Dash grunt in pain. Scribble then said “Push” and both he and Thi pushed. Another loud pop and it seemed that her foreleg was in the right position. Rainbow Dash screamed in pain a bit as she began to struggle under me. I held her down.

“Easy, Rainbow Dash! Easy! Deep breaths!” I said to her. Scribble began tending to her wounds, disinfecting her cuts and bruises before bandaging her up. Flitter had patched up Fluttershy when Scribble began placing ice patches on her swollen face. He dabbed at her bleeding snout, trying to get more air to flow through. Rainbow coughed when he managed to open her snout a bit, cleaning it as she began to breath. She looked so weak. Sharp Eye looked to me.

“What even happened?” She asked. I shook my head in disbelief.

“I-I don’t know! Me and CC were just talking and then out of nowhere we saw the Sonic Rainboom and a building blowing up and catching fire!” I explained. Cloudchaser looked grim, studying the sight. She then bent down and tilted her head.

“Uhh… guys? What is this stuff?” She asked as she brushed her hoof on some sort of dark liquid. As she did, something began jutting and growing out of it. Cloudchaser stepped back, looking at her hoof and quickly wiping it on the ground. I looked over into the crater and saw more of the dark liquid. Sharp, jagged rocks began growing out of the liquid. I furrowed my look and turned to everypony. I then pressed my ear.

“Twilight! Are you there? Twilight, we need your assistance!” I began. I only heard garbled static on the other end. I hissed a swear before darting my eyes in thought. I then looked over to the direction of the city. “We need to get them to the hospital.” I said.





Cloudchaser pulled the wagon as we all hurried into the streets of Manehatten. The streets were packed. Scribble was in the back of the wagon, tending to both pegasi as Cloudchaser growled.

“Move! We got injured ponies coming through!” She shouted as she nearly ran off one of the wagons. I galloped next to her while Flitter and Sharp Eye did their best to keep the wagon from tilting so much.

“Cloudchaser! There!” I panted, aiming with my horn to the street that led to the hospital. There were loud sirens nearby and several medical wagons tending to some injured ponies. We rushed into the lot and we were greeted by a couple of nurse ponies. They brought out stretchers and began wheeling Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in. We cantered next to them.

“Are they going to be okay??” Flitter asked with worry. The doctor didn’t skip a beat.

“Several fractures and possible internal bleeding. We need to do a full diagnostic. Make way!” He called out, rushing past some hurrying nurses. This whole place was hectic. What in the world of Equestria even happened? They were wheeled into a medical room where several nurses and doctors began checking on them. They were chatting amongst themselves, bringing in tools and other stuff. One if the nurses walked over to us and shooed us away, stating they shouldn’t be disturbed.

We all looked at the closing doors, dumbfounded by the thought of it all. We spent the rest of the morning fretting and worrying about the two as we did our best not to lounge around.

The halls were beginning to fill with injured ponies of all ages. Some worse than the last ones that entered. The hours ticked by and by ten, I finally stood up and pressed my ear.

“Twilight! Twilight, come in! Please!” I began. There was no garbled static. A voice broke through.

“Quiet Fire? What’s happening? I could hear your garbled voice but couldn’t make out what was going on.”

“Twilight! Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are currently admitted into the hospital.” I said. There were suddenly many voices breaking through all at once.

“WHAT?!?” I rubbed my ear at the volume they displayed. Thi seemed to mimic me.

”What happened?! Are they okay?!” Twilight asked, panic in her voice. I looked to Thi and Thi sighed, pressing her ear.

“They are being tended to by doctors. We got to them just in time to prevent any major… injuries. As for what happened, that’s something we have no clue on.” She said. I pressed my ear.

“Cloudchaser and I were outside our tents when it happened. We saw the Sonic Rainboom happen right as a building here in Manehatten caught fire and was blowing up.” I explained.

”Blowing up?! How?!” Applejack’s voice exclaimed with worry. Thi shook her head.

“Like I said. We’re trying to figure that out.” She said. Suddenly, there was a magical pop and we saw Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack looking worried and panic stricken. Twilight looked to the door and was about to rush in until Scribble put a hoof out to stop her.

“The nurses made it clear that we aren’t to disturb them.” he said, looking at her. Her eyes studied him as her look was grief stricken. I looked between each of them. The image of the tower and the Sonic Rainboom popped back in my head. What really did happen there? I opened my eyes and I blinked when I saw a draconiquis that I knew all too well. Discord seemed to be wearing a towel and a hair cap. His fur damp and dripping with water. His claw clenched in a ball. I arched a brow and looked, only to gap a bit when I saw his eyes glaring intently at the door. He then turned his head and leaned into me.

"Who...?" he said in a tone I didn't think existed. His eyes full of hate and anger. I gulped a bit but held up a hoof.

"D-don't know. We only saw the tower and the Sonic Rainboom." I nervously said. Twilight looked at the creature.

"Discord... Fluttershy wouldn't want you too. Not this time." she said. Discord grit his teeth as his eyes remained focused on me.

"That damned serpent can bite me. I want to know... now." he said, his voice quavered, but with threatening venom and hatred. There was another voice as we looked to see Ouroboros leaning coolly against the wall.

"Come now, Discord. Whatever happened to not providing a safety net? Don't tell me you really want to risk it for a mortal." he said, his look bored, but stern. Discord hissed and got up in the serpent's face.

"Not Fluttershy. Anypony but her." he glowered. Ouroboros then looked at him and gave a reassuring smile and pat on the draconiquis's cheek.

"Buck up, Discord. I'm sure Fie here will figure it out. But I really need you to not do anything you'll regret." he said. Thi sighed.

"Cool. Everycreature is here. Does somepony here have any clue aside from Ouroboros?" she asked, raising her voice. No pony answered. Twilight looked to Ouroboros.

"Do you... think you can help them?" she asked. Ouroboros motioned with a hoof in a shrug.

"If you want to give up a freebie. I'll be more than happy to regress any permanent damages." he said, looking bored. I shook my head and groaned.

"Alright everyone, relax. Let's take a moment to clear our heads and not do anything stupid. Let's think. What were they sent here to investigate in the first place?" I asked, looking at Twilight. Twilight glanced worriedly at the door. She then sighed.

"They were investigating a rumor about somepony that may have some connection to how our balance has been unstable." she began. "I picked them both for the job because I trusted that their chemistry would help them figure out the culprit." Thi rubbed her chin.

"Maybe they got too close." Thi said. "The building that blew up... I think that was Manechester Tower." Discord rose a claw up, but Ouroboros's serpent tail shot out and bit Discord, causing the draconiquis to make a visible grimace, but he still stood, his claw shaking. Ouroboros frowned.

"Being around mortals has really given you a bad choice in your judgement. As loath I am to say that, I can't deny that I admire your sacrificial loyalty to just a simple filly. You sure you want to do this and bring her with you? Or do you want to both prosper? If you choose the former, she'll never forgive you." He stared down Discord. Discord grit his teeth as he looked between the serpent tail and his claw. He then stopped struggling and let his claw go limp. I arched a brow and looked to Twilight and her friends for any guess as to what is going on here. Twilight walked over to us and had a visible spiteful expression towards the serpent.

"Ouroboros has forbidden Discord the use of his powers and to further implement that restriction, he put a very powerful spell over him that not even Ouroboros himself could break. If the god of chaos used his powers during a balance instability as a way to 'patch it up', he'll kill himself and doom Equestria to a never-ending fluctuation of chaotic magic being let loose. Equestria wouldn't be recognizable and we would surely be unable to adapt." Twilight explained. "He's only limited to his travel methods and his own personal amusement. But any means of interfering with this would result in Equestria being entirely destroyed." Ouroboros smiled and nodded his head towards Twilight, still not taking his eyes off Discord.

"Hear that? Really would be a shame to destroy everything I'm trying to prevent for your own selfish gain. Isn't that right, Fie?" I balked at the mention of me and I quickly avoided eye contact, finding the ground interesting. I knew exactly what he was getting at. I can't believe I was so stupid then. "Now, be a good creation of chaos and behave, m'kay?" He pat a disbelief stricken Discord on the shoulder before looking at Twilight. He bowed before his vanished in a distortion. I looked up and saw Discord's expression darken, his shoulders slumped and a dark cloud formed over him, small lightning and thunder and rain at the same time. Sharp Eye finally chimed in.

"Now, back to question. Who were they pickin' out? Who did they meet that got 'em too close to have that happen?" she asked, scratching her chin. Scribble chimed in.

"Manechester Tower is a historic building created back when this was still a village. It used to be called Eagle Overlook back then. It is mostly a business building with several floors of offices that handle economy, shipping and transactional accounts. There are some small businesses leasing out spaces that are available. Though, for structural stability, that's up in the air. There has been some renovations going on, but none that should cause a reaction like that." he said. I nodded.

"And Rainbow Dash did a Sonic Rainboom before the explosion. She needs to reach a certain speed to do that. I don't know if she was outside before then and then swooped down right before the building exploded. Fluttershy wasn't as badly hurt, so I'm guessing Rainbow Dash cushioned Fluttershy with her body. But what caused Dash to speed up so much that caused the Sonic Rainboom..." I rubbed my chin. Cloudchaser wiggled her hoof a bit.

"Could it have to do with that dark liquidy stuff that was around the crash site?" she asked. Twilight looked up.

"Dark liquid?" she asked. I nodded.

"There was this dark liquid that was all over the crater. From what I gathered, there was nothing there that would cause anything to seep out of the ground. The liquid began growing these dark and jagged rock like objects." Twilight looked to her friends. She then turned to me with a serious and determined look.

“Show me.” She said. I looked to my own friends and they nodded, Cloudchaser saluting me coolly.

“We’ll hold down the fort here.” She said with a small smile. Thi stood up and looked me dead in the eyes.

“I’m going too. And I’m not taking no for an answer.” She said. I was a little taken aback by her tone but I nodded as she stood next to Twilight. I remembered the location where and with a loud magical pop, we found ourselves back in the crash site. With the sun out lightning up the sky with angel rays once more, we could see a bit more of the crash site. And the amount of jagged, grey rocks around the area along with the dark liquid. We looked around and my eyes fell onto a strange, broken canister laying buried just a few feet away from the center of the crater.

I tilted my head. “Didn’t see that before. But then again, it was still night out.” I said, pointing to it. Thi didn’t hesitate and slid down the crater. Twilight and I followed after her, walking over as she lowered herself at the canister.

“Just as I thought…” she said. I looked over her shoulder. The canister looked almost rustic. But behind the rust was a faded symbol. The words read T.R.I.A.D. Around the symbol. Twilight furrowed her brows.

“Triad. The ones that attacked the princesses?” She asked, more to herself. Thi nodded.

“It must have been swept up in RD’s Rainboom.” She said, looking around. Twilight studied Thi.

“Please, Thi. I need to know. You look to have a better understanding of this.” She said. Thi then looked at me. I gave her a worried look in return. Thi bit her lip before sighing.

“Alright, alright. I wasn’t lying when I said the Triad wouldn’t hesitate to harm anypony. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy must have figured out a lead and unfortunately, the rumor may have led them with a run in of the Triad.” She explained. She looked to the canister, the black liquid seeping out of it. “From the looks of it, and if I know this group well, they appear to be smuggling a substance through the city.” Twilight studied the liquid, small jagged rocks beginning to protrude from the ground.

“Do you have any idea what kind of substance it is?” She asked. Thi studied the liquid.

“Knowing them, it’s probably something they managed to steal from a ruins of some kind. I’m not sure what this is, but if Triad is involved, then they are definitely up to nothing good.” She sighed and looked to me. “I know we have to find the other elements, but…” I smiled and nodded.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find the main issue with these Triad guys in the city and get a bit of payback for hurting our friends.” I said determinedly. I heard a quiet shuffle in the back of my mind. Something is awake again. Thi smirked.

“It won’t be easy. The Triad will not hold back. They’ll cause a lot of property damage out in the open.” She snorted. “With any luck, we might get to meet General Lilac.” Twilight and I exchanged glances. “She’s a brutal and merciless mare that we do not want to piss off.” She smiled. “Which is exactly what we are going to do. The Marsh Lands can wait.” She then looked to Twilight. “Princess. I know your battles have always been victorious for you. But this is one I do not want you involved in. The Triad do not care for your values. Trust me when I say you have to make sure no pony else is involved. Not even that Discord guy. If the Triad get ahold of anything powerful, they will use it for their own gain. I’ve stopped them one too many times from using ancient magic that’ll cause a cataclysmic event.”

I was baffled by this. Thi has saved Equestria many times over? And almost everypony was completely unaware of it?

It’s not just about you, Fie.

My conscience rang through my head. I studied Thi. She was a completely different mare right now. Her brash and care free attitude now a serious and calculative look. I bowed my head. I was feeling some frustration rise up. First Galavance. Now Thi? What the hell do I have to do?