A cold chill blew through the air, as a swirling green portal opened up. Emerging from this portal, Quill Cast, Curtain Call, and Atalanta stepped through as the portal closed behind them. Looking around, the group noticed that they were completely surrounded by a bunch of ice and snow which covered the landscape. Looking around, they could see that all the ice and snow seemed to stretch on for miles. The sudden rush of cold air immediately had them shivering.
“S-S-S-Sweet Celestia!” Quill chattered through his teeth. “W-W-Where d-did we end up t-t-this time?”
“N-N-No idea!” Curtain replied. “B-B-But it’s a-as c-c-c-cold as a m-mother in law’s h-h-heart.”
“I k-k-know w-what you mean,” Quill replied, trying to chuckle.
This only earned a stiff jab in the side from his fiancé, causing him to wince a slight.
“I-I-It’s w-w-way too cold t-t-to stay here l-l-long,” Curtain shivered, clutching himself. “T-T-This is why I p-p-prefer tropical.”
“D-D-Don’t worry g-guys,” Atalanta chattered. “I’ve g-g-got us c-covered.”
The Changeling princess quickly lit her horn with her magic, conjuring the entire group a bunch of nice warm apparel. Winter coats, hats, boots, and the works. Once they all were bundled up in warm clothing, their sighs of relief swept through the frigid air while the warmth their clothes provided left them content.
“Thanks babe,” Quill thanked Ata. “Last thing we need is to catch hypothermia when we should be finding a monster.”
“No… the last thing we need is to get ‘eaten’ by the monster,” Curtain retorted. “I suggest we try finding it before it tries to eat us… or some pony else.”
Just as Quill was about to respond, something sharp gently pressed against his back and his lips immediately sealed.
“Move one inch and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
A voice from behind him left Quill frozen in place… figuratively and literally. Curtain Call and Atalanta were about to confront whoever was behind them, but one look from Quill was enough to instruct them to stay back.
“All of you, turn around… slowly.”
Obeying the order, the trio slowly turned to see who exactly was addressing them. They were quick to take notice they appeared to be standing beside what resembled a tiny makeshift camp which they hadn’t noticed at first. However, their main focus was toward the sole individual standing before them.
The figure was that of a man of at least twenty five years of age with fairly curly shoulder length dark hair and a matching goatee. He wore dark leather clothing, boots, and a thick fur cloak around his shoulders. But what they noticed most about him was the very sharp sword with a wolf’s head pommeled handle he held in their direction.
Upon a closer inspection of the man’s face, Quill Cast and Curtain Call immediately recognized the stranger.
“Jon… Snow?” Quill questioned. “Is that you?”
Quill took a step towards the man, who held the sword in front of him till the tip of the blade nearly touched the stallion’s muzzle.
“How do you know my name?” Jon asked. “Who are you?”
“It’s us, Jon!” Quill responded. “Quill Cast and Curtain Call… remember? You’re old friends?”
“Your names mean nothing to me,” Jon replied.
Quill shot a look toward Curtain and the two stallions both shared a mutual look of understanding.
“Alright, how about we tell you something only a select few know?” Quill suggested. “You were working to negotiate an alliance between the Night’s Watch and the wildlings against the others…”
“But your policies were met with hostility by some among the Watch,” Curtain added. “You were left for dead in a mutiny following a desired attempt to break your vows to fight House Bolton.”
“How would you know that?” Jon asked, suspiciously.
“Because Mr. Snow,” Quill spoke up. “Our real names are…”
Quill gestured the man to come closer, so he could whisper their names to him. Jon Snow cautiously lowered his sword before slowly approaching the stallions, leaning toward their level on one knee. Quill leaned up on his hind legs and whispered into the young man’s ear. When he backed away, Jon’s eyes widened as he looked toward the group.
“It is you!” Jon gasped.
Within a split second, Jon sprang forward and wrapped his arms around Quill, who returned the hug in earnest. Seeing it was safe, Curtain quickly came over and joined in the hug until the three chaps finally parted.
“Dang man, we thought you’d skewer us for a second there,” Curtain chuckled.
“I’m glad you told me it was you,” Jon replied. “Why do you both look like… ponies?”
“We’re blending in with the natives of the land we currently reside in,” Quill explained. “We walk around as we really are, they’d freak out, they’d start asking questions… and the balance is ruined.”
“At least now we know who Amethyst was talking about when she mentioned an old ally,” Curtain realized. “I still can’t believe they banished you here.”
From the sidelines, Atalanta was watching the exchange between the three males with great confusion.
“Okay, hold up,” The princess interrupted. “Who is this guy? And how do you two know him?”
Turning back toward his fiancé, Quill looked as though he nearly forgot she was even there… for only a split second.
“Oops, sorry sweetie,” He quickly apologized. “Atalanta, this is our old ally Jon Snow, son of Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell in the North of Westeros.”
“Technically, he’s the ‘illegitimate’ son,” Curtain corrected. “But it’s a longer story…”
“Jon, this is my fiancé, Atalanta,” Quill introduced Jon.
Jon turned toward the changeling princess and gave a bow of his head in respect.
“My lady,” He greeted.
To which Atalanta responded with her own little bow of the head before turning back toward her fiancé.
“Quill, how exactly do you know him?” She asked curiously.
“Well, Curtain and I first met Jon during an excursion in a place known as Westeros,” Quill responded. “He was a member of the Night’s Watch, who guard the far norther borders from the wildings living beyond ‘The Wall’.”
“But then we heard rumors that Jon was left for dead by his own watch, following a desired attempt to break his vows to fight House Bolton,” Curtain added. “With the initial ‘Game of Thrones’ series over, and we had no idea how long it would be till the next two books come out, nor even if he would appear, Quill and I may have ‘accidentally’ created a paradox after we nursed him back to health, we got into trouble with the ‘management’, and… turns out they must’ve sent him ‘here’ while they tried to restore the balance of the ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ realm.”
“But before any of that, it was around our time working with Mr. Snow that we first encountered the beast we’ve been hunting,” Quill butted in. “It’s known by many names across different worlds and dimensions, but we know it as… the Wendigo.”
“Don’t you mean ‘Windigo’?” Atalanta questioned.
“Oh no, it’s nothing like the Windigo’s of Equestria,” Curtain spoke up. “The Wendigo is far worse. It’s an evil spirit brought upon by one of the most ultimate acts of evil… cannibalism.”
“The story goes that when a person resorts to cannibalism, this spirit possesses them and mutates them into this horrifying monster that will eat anyone it wishes,” Quill explained further. “It’s never satisfied with how much it eats, leaving no end of it’s rampage unless we destroy it.”
“We’ve seen what this creature could do, it nearly devoured a group of adults at some mountain lodge,” Curtain recalled. “It was a very confusing time. We created one too many alternate futures trying to catch this creature, and in one universe… none of the kids survived.”
“Oh my!” Atalanta gasped in horror.
“Which is why we really should get underway of finding it. Or else any creature unfortunate enough to get in its path stands no chance against this monster. And when there’s one, more will likely come, and it’ll spread like a plague here.”
“Couldn’t agree more, buddy,” Quill nodded, before facing Jon. “What do you say, Jon? Want to help us out for old time’s sake?”
“If it means traveling with you both again, how could I refuse?” Jon smirked.
With a nod of approval, Jon quickly grabbed any essentials he figured he’d need as well as sheathing his sword ‘Longclaw’ at his side. The group proceeded to make their way across the frozen landscape.
“By the way, where’s Ghost?” Quill asked.
“No need to worry about him,” Jon assured them. “He’ll be along soon; he can take care of himself.”
“Basically, Ghost is Jon’s closest companion,” Curtain explained to Atalanta. “Can’t have one without the other, so we made arrangements so they could be in banishment together.”
“Is there anything else you two have done in the multiverse?” Ata asked Curtain.
“The biggest question is… what haven’t we done?”
The group kept walking, completely unaware of a pair of bright yellow eyes spying on them through a nearby snowstorm. A deathly moan howled through the air, as a large claw scraped across the snow. A ravenous hunger was building, a hunger which needed to be sated.
<>
The crystal clear portal from Equestria opened wide as the Mane Six, Spike, Gabby, and Gilda emerged from the other side. Much like the others, whom they didn’t know had shown up earlier, they too took notice of the frozen tundra around them. Pinkie Pie soon popped up sporting a Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat.
“Well, here we are!” Pinkie Pie declared. “The beautiful, sunny state of Hawa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa…”
Pinkie Pie soon started to shiver and chatter violently as her pink fur briefly turned blue, as ice started to form on her curly locks. Even when she physically returned to normal, it didn’t take long for the pony to feel the wintery breeze… despite the landscape.
“Wa-wa-wa-why is it so cold?” Pinkie clutched herself.
“Maybe I’m just new to this whole transporting thing,” Gilda replied sarcastically. “But why would it ever be so cold in what’s supposed to be a tropical paradise?”
“We’re no strangers to sarcasm Gilda,” Twilight sighed. “Wherever we are, it’s not the place Pinkie intended.”
“Story of my life,” Spike pouted. “One request to take a vacation with my favorite griffon, and now we’re stuck in who knows where?”
“Uh guys… where do you suppose ‘they’ are going?” Gabby asked, pointing out.
The two griffons looked across the area, while the others followed suit. Sure enough, the Mane Six and their friends discovered a most astonishing sight. Marching along the road was a whole herd of animals. But not just their run of the mill animals back home, rather… it was the prehistoric kind.
A massive herd of animals consisting of creatures long extinct in their present time. From Macrauchenia to Glyptodons, Palaeotherium to prehistoric aardvarks, and even Brontotherium. For reasons our heroes couldn’t understand, these animals were slowly traveling away from the snowy regions of this landscape. But it appeared that they were migrating south to avoid a freezing cold front developing. Miles behind this herd was a glacier monument known as Glacier Pass, a large ice formation with a huge cut engraved on it, like some form of ice gorge.
“Just when we think we’ve seen it all in that wacky draconequus’s theater,” Gilda commented. “Check out these freaks!”
“They’re not freaks, they’re prehistoric!” Gabby exclaimed excitedly. “I’ve once read about these creatures, from Princess Twilight’s library, during one of my dates with Spike!”
“Yep! Totally studying amazing facts about these creatures,” Spike nodded quickly. “That’s all we were doing.”
“This is amazing!” Twilight Sparkle gasped, wide-eyed. “We’ve seen our share of prehistoric creatures, but this is the real deal! Not a group of clones, but these are among the first mammals to ever walk the Earth!”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s let eggheads be eggheads,” Gilda rolled her eyes, spying a pair of Macrauchenia. “Hey, big nose! What’s your hurry?”
“Haven’t you heard?” The Macrauchenia grumbled. “It’s the Ice Age! We’re moving someplace warm! Shouldn’t you be flying south?”
“Hey, don’t let the snowball hit you on the way out!” Gilda squawked in retaliation. “And spoiler alert: You’re going to be extinct, and NO ONE WILL MISS YOU!”
“Gilda! Easy!” Gabby coaxed her friend.
Whether or not the creature heard the snippy griffon, the Macrauchenia kept going. But as if being offended by some strange bird-lion hybrid wasn’t enough, his companion was asking him something rather rhetorical… a dumb question, one that really made him grit his teeth.
“Why not call it the Big Chill or the Nippy era?” The other Macrauchenia asked. “I’m just sayin’, how do we know it’s an Ice age?”
“Because… of all… THE ICE!” The first Macrauchenia answered impatiently.
With irritation heavy on his face, the Macrauchenia stomped off, leaving his friend alone. Gilda just casually fluttered over toward the stunned creature, looking him straight in the eye.
“DUH!” Gilda replied, before fluttering off.
“Well, things just got a little chillier,” the Macrauchenia commented.
“That’s the cold shoulder for ya, pal!”
Meanwhile, Gabby turned to her right and spotted a group of baby Paleotherium sinking into a tar pit. The poor babies were crying for help.
“Help! Help!” The little piglets cried.
“Goodness!” Gabby exclaimed, flapping toward the piglets. “Don’t worry little ones! I’ll get you out!”
But before Gabby could lend a claw, an even bigger Palaeotherium – their father – trotted over.
“Hey! Get away from them you buzzard!” The Papa snorted, facing the kids. “Come on, kids, let’s go! The traffic’s movin’.”
“But, but, but Dad!” One Piglet tried to protest.
“No buts,” The Papa shook his head, not buying it. “You can play extinction later.”
With a snort and a huff, the papa turned to walk away, much to his kids’ dismay. Much to Gabby’s surprise, the piglets quickly stood up, revealing they weren’t even sinking at all… let alone any serious danger.
“Ok,” The piglet sighed. “Come on, guys.”
Gabby watched as the tar-covered piglets took their leave, as Gilda landed beside her.
“How do you like that?” Gilda smirked. “You were about to save a bunch of naughty kids playing in the mud.”
“They looked like they were in trouble,” Gabby shrugged. “Besides, you’d do the same for your kids. Wouldn’t you?”
To which Gilda didn’t even reply, not at first. She just looked toward Gabby with a stone-faced expression.
“Keep that talk of family between you and your boyfriend, okay?” Gilda broke the silence. “I’ve got better things to pass my time.”
Leaving it at that, the Griffons continued to watch as the remainder of the herd marched on. Among them were a pair of Glypto passing through, and the griffins couldn’t help but overhear what’s essentially a private conversation.
“So, where’s Eddie?” One Glypto asked.
“He said he was on the verge of an evolutionary breakthrough,” The other Glypto replied.
“Really?”
Off in the distance, Gilda caught sight of a random Glypto running towards a cliff.
“Yo, turtle shells!” Gilda called out, pointing to the cliff. “Is that him?”
“That’s him alright…” One Glypto frowned.
Both Griffins and Glyptos watched as Eddie flailed helplessly in the air, proclaiming to the world, ‘I’m flying!’. Gabby cringed as Eddie landed in the trees with a loud ‘CRACK!’.
“Can’t say he’s falling with style,” Gilda scoffed.
“Some ‘breakthrough’,” One Glyto frowned.
“I hope he’s okay,” Gabby expressed her sympathy.
Suddenly, as the massive herd continued on, a large gasp erupted among the crowd of mammals. Everyone, especially the Mane Six and Spike, looked with shock upon their faces, as a huge Wooly Mammoth stomped his way across the herd, going in the opposite direction. Spooked, the mammals in his path frantically started moving out of the way.
“Look out, look!” Someone shouted.
“You’re going the wrong way!” Another shouted. “The other way!”
“Crazy mammoth!” A prehistoric Aardvark cried.
All this was chaos happening around him, yet the Mammoth hardly glanced over what he stirred. As a matter of fact, this creature hardly seemed to care. He kept stomping his way through the crowd, ignoring everyone around him. This mammoth, Manfred (Or ‘Manny’ as we prefer to call him), had a grumpy expression on his face as he plowed through the crowd. This hadn’t gone unnoticed by any of the Equestrians, especially a certain Griffon.
“What’s his problem?” Gilda asked. “Can’t he see past the end of his nose? A really long nose, I might add?”
“Don’t be mean, Gilda!” Gabby scolded her friend. “Maybe we can go over and ask him—”
However, someone else had already beaten Gabby and Gilda to the punch. For only one mammal had the guts to stand up to him for his actions, loudly shouting toward the mammoth and stopping him in his tracks. It was none other than the papa Paleotherium from earlier.
“HEY! DO THE WORLD A FAVOR!” The Palaeotherium shouted. “MOVE YOUR ISSUES OFF THE ROAD!!!”
But rather than complying, however, the mammoth proceeded to intimidate the little prehistoric ungulate.
“If my trunk was that small, I wouldn’t draw attention to myself, pal,” Manny grumbled.
“Hey, g-give me a break,” The Palaeotherium pleaded. “We… We’ve been waddling all day.”
The creature gestured to his family: A mate, and their children. While all this was going on, Gabby thought it best to make herself and Gilda known to this moody mammoth.
“Uh, excuse me, Mr. Mammoth…” Gabby spoke up. “I’m sorry for barging in, but… I think everyone would appreciate it if you could maybe… oh, how do I say this politely, um… not make a scene? Please?”
“What my friend’s trying to say is… GET OUTTA THE WAY, PAL!” Gilda asserted. “This ain’t no two-way street and you’re making it harder for everyone with your stomping!”
“Gilda, please!” Gabby frowned, before smiling. “I’m sorry about my friend’s uncalled behavior. She doesn’t know her manners. But, if you please, no one needs to get hurt today. Maybe if you could just move out of the way just a smidge, I think everyone would really appreciate it.”
Manny took one look at the griffons, then toward the Paleotherium family. Finally, seeing they weren’t worth his time, he shrugged them all off.
“Oh, go ahead,” Manny rolled his eyes, walking off. “Follow the crowd. It’ll be quieter when you’re gone.”
“Same to you pal!” Gilda shouted.
“Ehh, c’mon,” The papa Paleotherium gestured. “If he wants to freeze to death, let him.”
The griffons watched as the Paleotherium family waddled off to join the rest of the migrating herd.
“Have a good trip!” Gabby waved goodbye, before looking back with concern. “… Hmm, I wonder what’s wrong with him. Why is that Mammoth such a grump?”
“So what? Who cares? It doesn’t matter,” Gilda shrugged, flapping her wings. “Elephants are elephants. C’mon! We should get back to our friends.”
Sure enough, the griffons took to the air to find their friends. They were blissfully unaware that they didn’t have much farther to look.
<>
Sure enough, it didn’t take long for the griffons to fly far from the herd and made a landing for a nearby petrified tree near a cave. Gilda brushed off her feathers from the flight, while Gabby hung back in the air.
“I’ll go and tell the others where we are!” Gabby called out. “You just hang out till we get here, alright Gilda?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, not like there’s nothing interesting here,” Gilda brushed off. “Take your time.”
As Gabby raced off to retrieve their friends, Gabby casually leaned on the side of the tree, turned her head to the herd, and happened to see a trio of young anteaters marching their way down the trail with some of the herd. Gilda’s head turned to the left, then to the right, and suddenly, mischief started to spread on the moody griffon’s face. It was then she decided to have a little ‘fun’ with these kids.
“Hiya kids!” Gilda greeted, feigning politeness. “And where are you three going?”
“To the migration!” One of the kids answered.
“The Migration, huh?” Gilda nodded, smirking. “Did you pay your toll?”
“Our toll?” The kids asked in unison.
“Oh yeah, sure! Everyone knows you can’t migrate without paying the toll. It’s the law.”
“But we—”
“Haven’t heard of the toll?” Gilda finished, slyly. “That’s too bad, you still have to pay. Let’s see what you got.”
Gilda quickly grabbed the lengthy nose of one aardvark. She peered an eye down the peepholes, then held it over her free talon, and shook the nose. A total of three berries emerged into her palm.
“Berries,” Gilda confirmed. “Well, better than nothing. That’ll be one from you… one from you…”
Gilda had just gotten the remainder of the aardvarks to snort out their own food into her paws, when an ‘Ahem!’ caught Gilda’s attention. She stopped as she finally noticed the shadows hanging over her. She looked up and sure enough, Gabby along with their flying friends hovered over her, crossing their hooves and arms while staring toward Gilda. It didn’t take long for their more Earthbound friends to catch up, seeing the act.
“Seriously, Gilda?” Rainbow Dash asked, annoyed.
Then magic suddenly conjured in Gilda’s grip as she saw the berries lifted off her as Rarity hovered them over the air with her magic.
“Migration toll,” Rarity huffed. “Of all the biggest load of Blueblood I’ve ever heard. I do apologize for that kids, here… you can have your lunch back, free of charge.”
“Kill joy…” Gilda muttered, crossing her hooves.
The anteater kids happily took their berries back despite how strange this creature was or even how she got their food back. But who were they to complain? Once the kids got their food back, they proceeded to head off to rejoin the rest of the herd.
“Nice doing business with ya,” One kid called out.
“See Gilda?” Gabby hovered over Gilda. “I told the guys to meet you here by the petrified tree, and there you were. Got here in record time too.”
“Yeah, that’s great Gabby…” Gilda muttered.
The whole group stood by the tree now trying to determine what else to do with their time. The ground shook beneath the feet of those who chose not to take to the air. However, someone else was feeling the tremble from the migration.
It was a giant ground sloth with a purple nose, buck teeth, and lime green fur. This sloth, Sid by name, slept on his branch when he started slipping off as a result of the shaking ground. Startled awake, he grabbed onto his branch.
“Whoa! Huh? Hey- Hey, I’m up, I’m up!” Sid called out, climbing atop his branch. “Hey, rise and shine, everybody!”
However, as Sid looked about the rest of the tree, he was surprised to see not a single one of his family about.
“Huh? Zack? Marshall? Bertie? Uncle Fungus? Where is everybody? Come on, guys, we’re gonna miss the mi- the mi- the mi… migration.”
But by the time Sid was putting things together, everything was silent. The entire herd had since left this area and not a single Sloth, especially in Sid’s family, could be seen for miles. It was in that moment that Sid had suddenly released what had happened, much to his chagrin… and sadness.
“They left without me, they do this every year…” Sid grumbled, crying desperately. “Why? Doesn’t anyone love me? Isn’t there anyone who cares about Sid the Sloth?”
All he got in response was silence. In a way it was almost as if the universe was telling him that indeed he was very much alone during this trying time.
“All right, I’ll just go by myself,” Sid replied.
Sid was just about to make his leave for his own march, when suddenly…
“Excuse me, Mr. Sidney!”
A heavy shriek escaped Sid’s lips, and his face dropped with horror as he proceeded to retreat behind a tree. That high squeaky voice reminded him of someone he really hoped he wouldn’t hear from… ever again.
“Sylvia?!” Sid whispered to himself. “Oh no, anyone but her!”
Sylvia… a name that Sid wished he had never heard of nor a sloth he ever had to run into again. Of course, he’s known her for a very brief period and yet that sloth, as nice and sweet as she was, was very affectionate toward Sid… which wouldn’t be so bad for the guy, if it weren’t for the fact that she was a little… ‘too’ clingy. But knowing there’d be no escape if she were this relentless, he sighed with defeat and prepared to emerge from his hiding spot.
“Hi Syl—”
But Sid suddenly stopped mid-sentence and his chagrin shifted to surprise. Standing before him was a group of colorful pastel ponies… and some tall lizard creature with green scales on its head and back. Even stranger was how these equines had strange markings along their flanks, something this creature has never seen before. One particular pony, the bright pink one with the poofy mane, eyed him with a toothy grin.
“Hi there, I’m Pinkie Pie!” The pony greeted.
The sloth paused for a moment as if just taking in the shock… but then sighed with heavy relief, as he wiped his brow.
“Oh, thank you, thank you!” Sid thanked himself. “I thought you were somebody else.”
“I’m more like some ‘pony’ else, actually…” Pinkie giggled. “But I tend to get that from every creature.”
“Please pardon my friend sir,” The purple pony spoke up, politely. “Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends: Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Spike. You’ve already met, Pinkie Pie.”
“Sup!” Spike greeted casually.
“Wow… that’s definitely a mouthful,” Sid replied awkwardly. “I must be going nuts, forgive me for saying, but I’ve never seen creatures like you before.”
“The horns and wings give it away, don’t they?” Rainbow Dash replied. “Yeah, believe it or not, the fact you’re being this ‘chill’ is a bit of fresh air. Ha… ‘chill’…”
“And you, buddy,” Sid approached Spike. “You’ve got to be the biggest lizard I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“Oh, I’m not a lizard,” Spike denied politely. “Actually… I’m a dragon.”
“… Name doesn’t ring a bell, but who am I to judge?”
“Yes, that seems to be just about everybody,” Twilight Sparkle declared. “Except for…”
“O.M.G.!!!”
All eyes looked up as the griffons hovered over them in the air. Gabby squealed with excitement as she zoomed toward the ground and landed gracefully before the surprised sloth. Gilda, on the other talon, merely hovered slowly while maintaining her cool persona.
“Hi there! I’m Gabby, we only just met, and I think you’re one of the most amazing creatures I’ve ever seen!” Gabby replied rapidly. “Oh, that up there is my good friend, Gilda! Hey Gilda, isn’t this amazing! A talking sloth? She was very excited to meet you.”
“… Ecstatic,” Gilda replied, unenthusiastically.
“Uh well, it was nice to meet you, I could’ve sworn—” Sid began.
“Say… what are you doing hanging out by this tree all by yourself?” Gabby interrupted, looking around.
“Yeah, shouldn’t y’all be migrating with the rest of the herd?” Applejack pointed out.
“Well, about that—” Sid attempted to answer.
“GASP!!! I have an idea!” Pinkie gathered every pony. “Why don’t we take part in this migrating trip together? We’d get to see the rest of this world, meet new creatures, so Spike and Gabby can be alone and having some fun together…”
“Would be great if you didn’t say that aloud!” Spike spoke, through gritted teeth.
“Although now that I think about it,” Pinkie Pie pondered. “All that walking is bound to make my little hoofsies swell…”
“Pinkie…” Twilight spoke up.
“You wouldn’t mind if you carried me a bit like a gentleman, Mr. Sidney?” Pinkie requested.
“Just Sid—” Sid corrected briefly.
“—Just until we get over the mountains,” Pinkie rambled on. “You know, if I had known there’d be mountains on this trip, I would think we’d have packed some hiking supplies, maybe some ingredients for s’mores like graham crackers, the marshmallows, and some—”
“PINKIE PIE!!!” Twilight shouted, exasperated. “… Please. He’s only just met us.”
“Ooh… heh-heh, sometimes I get carried away,” Pinkie chuckled. “Sorry about that Sidney. We just get so excited meeting potential new friends.”
“That’s exactly what I was going to say!” Gabby replied.
“Urgh… as if one wasn’t enough,” Gilda groaned.
“Again… just ‘Sid’ is fine, ladies,” Sid corrected. “That’s very sweet of you to offer, but actually I just—um—I actually won’t be migrating this year. That’s all I mean, I um… I was thinking of…”
Sid looked around from the spot of his tree, toward a supposed empty cave that happened to be nearby.
“HIBERNATING!” Sid smiled, approaching the cave. “Yes, I was actually going to hibernate this year. Yes, yes, I mean how hard can it be? Gorge yourself on food, sleep it off for four months. I’ve been training all my life for this.”
“Uh Fluttershy, do sloths hibernate during the winter?” Spike asked curiously.
“Actually… no, sloths don’t hibernate,” Fluttershy shook her head.
“Nice try, Sid,” Rainbow Dash dragged Sid out. “You don’t have to put on an act in front of us.”
“But I think I can do it,” Sid argued. “My metabolism’s really slow.”
“Sid, was it? I’m going to give it to you straight,” Gilda spoke firmly. “Do you even know why you were standing by this tree all by yourself this morning?”
“Because I overslept?” Sid answered nervously.
“No, because deep down you know that your family up and ditched you because they couldn’t stand being around you. And now with a spot left open off your family tree, they can just remodel until the family gets it just right.”
“Gilda!” Gabby gasped, exasperated.
“Sheesh… and I thought Applejack was too brutally honest at Rarity’s fashion show,” Spike replied, facing A.J. “Says the mare who dressed as ‘AppleJewel’ to get Rarity to cut the country act, am I right?”
“Hardy har,” Applejack frowned in annoyance.
“No… she’s right,” Sid sighed sadly. “The truth is my family did abandon me; I don’t really know why but it’s not the first time they’ve done this. I have no idea where they went or how far they walked off, and honestly, you’d think I get the picture but… they’re still family.”
“You poor little guy…” Fluttershy replied sympathetically.
“Well, that offer still stands if we at least want you to get through the migration,” Twilight Sparkle offered. “We didn’t actually ‘plan’ to be out here in all honesty, but we never turn down on a friend in need of help. We could at least get you as far as the rest of the herd, then we can move on.”
“Did you… call me a friend?” Sid’s eyes widened.
“Get used to it,” Gilda rolled her eyes. “Once they set their mind on this ‘friendship’ stuff, they stick to you like glue. It’s contagious…”
The sloth pondered over what these strange group of characters were willing to offer. Here they were showing up out of the blue, somehow knowing his name (Even though they just overheard his self-pity cry), and willing to help him out before even knowing him. Maybe his family wouldn’t even be happy to see him, but he’d hate to feel left behind or going through with this migration entirely alone. He could always use the company… not like he has many options left.
“You know what girls… you’re right,” Sid declared determinedly. “It would just pain me to have last look at what I once called home and all the neighbors that pass this relic of beauty!”
To which a passing Glypto merely replied with a ‘Harumph!’ before waddling away from the sloth.
“The tree?” Gilda raised her brow.
“Say what you will, but it’s obvious I can’t fight destiny anymore,” Sid continued. “I may have no idea where I’m going or who will reach for me when I get to who knows where. But don’t worry ladies…”
“Ahem!” Spike cleared his throat.
“And my tall scaly amigo,” Sid added. “Wherever we go, we’ll find it because we have each other! I am so close to home I can just feel it!”
“Uh, Mr. Sid!” Fluttershy raised a hoof.
SQUISH!
Sid stopped as he felt something soft against his foot and detected a rather odious stench. The group cringed as Sid looked down, realizing what he had just stepped on.
“Ahw… sick!” Sid muttered, facing the passing Glypto. “HEY WIDE BODY, CURB IT NEXT TIME!!!”
The group watched as the sloth started sliding his foot trying to remove the ‘unmentionable’ off, groaning and muttering as some of the group tried to cover their nose from the stench.
“Oh now, that’s only going to make it worse!” Rarity complained. “I can’t even… I simply cannot allow to leave a mess like this. What civilized creatures would do such a thing?”
“Uh… it’s part of our nature?” Gilda replied sarcastically.
“Nope, this must be done right. Does any pony have a shovel?”
“You mean this?” Pinkie held a shovel from her mane.
“Thank you, Pinkie dear. Now if you be so kind every pony, I simply must have this mess buried. It’ll only take a moment or two.”
“Well, no stoppin’ her soon as she starts,” Applejack shook her head. “I reckon I oughtta check in on Sid and make sure he don’t make a further mess of himself.”
“Maybe I better come along too…” Fluttershy volunteered. “Just to make sure he’s okay.”
“Well alright, but don’t you guys take too long,” Twilight Sparkle called out. “The sloth’s late for his migration already!”
“If we think this migration will be rough, wait till the movie with the family of mallards,” Pinkie Pie whispered to the audience. “And I don’t mean the mallards that include a Mr. Plucky Duck.”
<>
Somewhere nearby, a pair of rhinos were about to graze into a pile of leafy greens. A refreshing looking salad that one rhino, Frank by name, had prepared for his ‘partner’.
“I can’t believe it,” The rhino exclaimed to his friend. “Fresh wild greens. “Frank, where did you ever?”
“Go ahead, dig in,” Frank insisted.
Just before the other rhino could dig in, it was then he noticed a tiny yellow flower poking up from the leaves.
“A dandelion! I thought the frost wiped ‘em all out.”
“All but one.”
Unfortunately, the rhinos lunch would be rudely interrupted. Sid, who came stomping about all over their food. By the time Applejack and Fluttershy arrived, having followed close behind him, they spotted him struggling to wipe the muck off his feet, unaware he was stepping all over the rhinos mistake. Being that they were the only ponies to notice the mess he was making, the girls were horrified to see the expressions on the rhinos’ faces.
“Oh, this makes me so… I wanna… oh yuck!” Sid groaned.
“Oh my…” Fluttershy gasped worriedly.
“Uh, Sid?” Applejack spoke up nervously. “I’d be careful where I’m steppin’ if I were you…
“Too late for that, orange pony,” Sid replied, scrubbing his feet. “This has definitely not been my day.
“You know what I’m sayin’, buddy?” Sid asked Frank, flicking dirt onto the rhino’s friend. “What a mess. You rhinos have tiny brains. Did you know that?”
“Sid!” Applejack exclaimed nervously. “Ix-nay on the upid-stay!”
“It’s just a fact,” Sid replied, before addressing the rhinos. “No offence. You probably didn’t even know what I’m talkin’ about.”
“Okay!” Applejack shouted, leaping into the salad. “That’s enough outta ya, little fella.”
“Pardon us for the intrusion sirs,” Fluttershy smiled nervously. “We’re just gonna go now…”
“Yummo!”
The girls looked in horror as Sid reached down to pick up the flower in the midst of the salad.
“A dandelion!” Sid smiled. “Must be the last one of the season!”
Sid proceeded to consume the flower, much to the rhinos display. Up till now, they were annoyed with the sloth’s antics. But now, this was the very last straw.
“Carl,” Frank began.
“Easy, Frank,” Carl advised.
“He ruined our salad!”
This finally got Sid’s attention, as he and the two ponies turned toward the rhinos. Unfortunately for Applejack and Fluttershy, not only were they advancing upon the sloth, but the girls as well.
“My mistake, that was my mistake,” Sid stammered nervously. “Let me…”
“Listen, I… I apologize for our friend,” Applejack began. “We’ll kindly fix up whatever mess he’s made.”
“I can whip a new salad!” Fluttershy added. “I have an amazing recipe for every vegetarian.”
“And we’ll find another dandelion!” Applejack added.
But the rhinos weren’t buying it. They stalked towards the ponies and sloth, with murderous intent on their minds. Desperate, Sid looked around the ground until he stumbled upon… a pinecone.
“What is this?” Sid asked. “Pinecones! Oh, my goodness. They’re my favorite.”
“They are?” Fluttershy asked, confused.
“Yeah!”
Attempting to sell his bluff, Sid bit hard upon the pinecone. The girls could only cringe as their sloth friend recoiled in pain. The sharp plates poked the insides of his mouth and the poor guy nearly choked trying to swallow them.
“Delicious… ow!” Sid groaned. “That’s good eating. But don’t let me hog them all up.”
Sid proceeded to stuff some cones into Carl’s mouth, forcing him to chew on them. This would only invoke the rhino’s ire even further.
“Here, you have some. Tasty, isn’t it? Bon appetit-ue.”
With that, Sid quickly turned tail and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Fluttershy turned toward the rhinos, raising a hoof up, as if ready to speak. But instead, she quickly ran after Sid in a blue, leaving behind a smoke shaped like her, which ran after her.
“AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” Fluttershy screamed.
Applejack turned toward the rhinos herself, cracked a nervous grin, and proceeded to quickly follow Fluttershy and Sid.
“Now?” Frank asked.
“… Now,” Carl answered.
The two rhinos pursued the two ponies and sloth, the trio trying to stay ahead as best as they could.
“Nice goin’ Sid!” Applejack frowned. “Ya just had to go an’ ruin some pony’s salad.”
“I didn’t know they were eating!” Sid screamed in defense. “I thought it was some clean pasture to wipe my feet with!”
By which time, the remainder of the Equestrians, Spike and the griffons included, were turning a corner to investigate the commotion. It was then they spotted the two ponies and Sid running for their very lives.
“Guys, what’s going on?!” Twilight Sparkle called out.
“RUUUUUUUUUUNNNNN!!!” Fluttershy screamed her lungs out.
The trio raced past them in a trail of smoke and the group watched them briefly. The second they turned was when the rhinos came barreling toward the group. Not knowing what’s going on, nor wanting to stir a fight, they quickly raced away after their friends, their winged companions taking toward the sky. Unfortunately, Sid and the two ponies with him hadn’t looked were going and had accidentally bumped into someone.
“Hey!” A loud voice boomed.
“Oh, I’m so sorry mister…” Fluttershy began.
Fluttershy stopped as the three looked up and a rather grumpy mammoth loomed over them.
“Hey!” Another voice screamed.
The three turned as Gilda and Gabby flew over them, along with the remainder of the Equestrians. Gilda eyed the mammoth, refusing to be intimidated.
“Why don’t you watch where ya going!?” Gilda waved her talon.
“Are you okay, guys?” Gabby asked concerned.
“Can’t say we’re off to a great start,” Applejack sighed.
“Are they friends of yours?” The mammoth asked the griffons.
“Yup!” Gabby smiled. “All six ponies, plus my boyfriend! How do you do, our names are—”
“No time for that, Gabby!” Fluttershy shrieked. “HIDE!”
The remaining ponies, Spike, and the griffons looked back as the rhinos finally caught up. Fluttershy and Sid were already hiding behind the mammoth, while Applejack joined the others to hold their ground.
“Just pretend that we’re not here,” Sid pleaded the mammoth.
But the mammoth merely turned to confront the two rhinos himself, which left Fluttershy and Sid exposed. Even the two griffons decided to join up with the mammoth to see what threat they were up against.
“Who invited Dumb and Dumber to the party?” Gilda scoffed.
Gabby, while rather annoyed with the blunt griffon, never took her eyes off the two rhinos. Even in anger, they were wise enough to stop upon seeing the mammoth. While they were curious to see these griffons, along with pastel ponies in greater numbers and a rather unusual looking lizard, they paid no heed.
“Aw man, I wanted to hit him at full speed!” Frank complained.
“That’s okay,” Carl reassured. “We’ll have some fun with him.”
“Darlings, what did you do to make them so mad?” Rarity asked, concerned.
“It’s a long story,” Fluttershy chuckled nervously.
“Ask him!” Applejack pointed at Sid.
“Don’t let them impale me,” Sid pleaded, hiding behind the mammoth. “Please, I wanna live!”
“Get off me!” The mammoth shook the sloth off.
“Come on, you’re making a scene,” Carl told the sloth.
“Ah-huh,” Frank nodded, facing the mammoth and group. “We’ll just take our furry pinatas and go if you don’t mind.”
“Look! I have no idea what just happened,” Twilight stepped forward, playing peacekeeper. “But whatever our friend has done, I’m sure he’s very sorry.”
“Yeah, why don’t we all just kick back and settle this over a party?” Pinkie asked. “We’ll have some cake, chat, schmooze, and maybe share some stories of social bonding. What do you say?”
The two rhinos merely turned toward each other and shook their heads.
“Nah!”
“Hey, buddy,” The mammoth addressed the sloth. “If it’s not them today, it’s just someone else tomorrow.”
“Well, Id like rather not be today, okay?” Sid replied.
“Look, we’re gonna break your neck, so you don’t feel a thing,” Carl told the sloth. “How’s that?”
“That’s even worse!” Fluttershy exclaimed, horrified.
“Now that’s just crossin’ the line!” Applejack grimaced.
“Well as long as it’s quick and painless, I’m all for it,” Gilda rolled her eyes.
“Gilda!” Gabby scolded her friend.
“What?” Gilda shrugged. “We eat fish. It’s the same thing!”
“Wait a minute, I thought rhinos were vegetarians,” Spike pointed out.
“An excellent point,” Sid agreed.
“Shut up!” The mammoth and Gilda said.
“Who says we’re gonna eat him after we kill him?” Carl asked rhetorically.
“Yeah, c’mon, move it!” Frank barked.
But the mammoth, while visibly annoyed by the wild antics of these strangers, refused to bend down.
“You know, I don’t like animals that kill for pleasure,” The mammoth said.
“That’s double for me!” Gabby frowned, flaring her wings in defense.
“Count me in,” Gilda added.
“Got room for six?” Applejack asked, bringing out her lasso.
“We gave you two a chance to just walk away,” Twilight Sparkle stomped her hoof. “But now you just threatened our friends, and as Princess I won’t stand for it!”
“Save it for a mammal that cares,” Carl barked.
“I’m a mammal that cares,” Sid spoke up.
The mammoth soon noticed a large swirl positioned conveniently between his group and the rhinos. An idea soon crossed his mind, which he hoped would work.
“Okay, look,” The mammoth began. “If either of you make it across that sinkhole in front of you, you get the sloth.”
Carl and Frank looked toward the sinkhole in front of them, nervously backing away.
“Yeah, that’s right, big nose!” Rainbow Dash shouted, cockily. “You chumps either back off, or you’re buried six feet under!”
“Sinkhole?” Applejack stammered in confusion. “But we just crossed—OW!”
Gilda and Gabby both elbowed Applejack in the gut, stopping her from blowing their cover. It didn’t take long for even the Element of Honesty to catch.
“OH! That sinkhole!” Applejack struggled to play along. “I mean… yeah! Definitely a sinkhole, right there. I wouldn’t step on it if I were you.”
“That’s right, you losers!” Sid said confidently, picking up a rock. “You take one step and you’re dead!”
Sid hurled the rock, which bounced off the ‘sinkhole’ instead of sinking. The rock rolled about till it landed right before the rhinos, who looked up with even greater fury. Gilda smacked herself with a face palm while the ponies and Spike slowly turned back toward Sid.
“You were bluffing, huh?” Sid asked the mammoth.
“Yeah,” The mammoth answered. “Yeah, that was a bluff.”
“You… IDIOT!!!” Gilda scowled.
“GET ‘EM!” Frank and Carl shouted.
The rhinos made a made dash toward the group with no hesitation. Now under heavy fire, but refusing to go down without a fight, the mammoth, Spike, the ponies, and the griffons glared angrily toward the duo, holding their ground and ready for a fight.
“JUMP!!!” Twilight Sparkle shouted.
The ponies and Spike leapt to the side as the rhinos rammed into the Mammoth’s trunks, while Gilda and Gabby took flight and intercepted the rhinos, attempting to pry them off the horns. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike flew in to aid their friends. Even with their assistance, however, the rhinos remained undeterred. They kept pushing the mammoth backwards, while Sid hid behind the big animal.
As the latter felt himself pushed back, the former’s feet were getting closer to the edge of a cliff. The sloth hung onto the mammoth’s leg, screaming for his life. This hadn’t go unnoticed as Fluttershy turned behind her.
“Oh, dear goodness!” Fluttershy gasped.
Deided to edge away from the rhinos, the timid Pegasus flew toward Sid and clutched behind him.
“Don’t worry, Sid! I’ll protect you!”
“Yeah, but who’s going to protect you?!” Sid exclaimed.
In the meantime, Gilda and Gabby started pecking the rhinos around their eyes, while Twilight Sparkle lit up her horn to blind them with great radiance. With their vision slightly impaired, the rhinos were losing concentration. With the beasts distracted, the mammoth used all his strength to push them back. A mighty struggle later, and he flung them back from the cliff knocking the rhinos head over heels.
“WAHOO!” Sid hollered, leaping in celebration.
“Don’t celebrate just yet!” Applejack exclaimed. “Here they come!”
Sid and Fluttershy proceeded to hide behind the mammoth once more, as the rhinos charged. With a twirl of her lasso, Applejack hurled her rope, catching Carl by the horn. Mustering every ounce of strength, Applejack proceeded to pull Carl into the air, slamming him into the ground. She pulled him up in the air again, spinning him rapidly like a tornado and hurled the beast off the side.
“Whoa! You’re strong!” Gilda complimented. “No wonder why Rainbow Dash pegs ya so much.”
“Uh… thanks?” Applejack answered awkwardly.
The remainder of the group joined Sid and Fluttershy, watching Carl fly and crash heavily. Just then, they saw Frank charging to attack. Before our heroes could react, Frank was suddenly picked up by the mammoth’s tusks much to their astonishment. With all his strength, the mammoth tossed Frank into the air toward Carl.
Speaking of whom, Carl was just recovering from his landing when something caught his eye.
“A dandelion?” Carl exclaimed.
Unfortunately, the dandelion was crushed as Frank landed on it.
“WAHOO!!!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “FLAWLESS VICTORY!!!”
“WE DID IT!!! WE DID IT!!!” Sid cheered.
The sloth and the party pony clutched onto Mammoth’s trunk, the mighty beast stepping back in surprise… toward the edge of the cliff. The pair only noticed this predicament right as the mammoth was about to slide down the mountain.
“Oops,” Pinkie gasped.
The trio were soon screaming down the mountain as the remainder of their friends looked down in horror. They quickly raced to the edge to see their landing… but fortunately, it wasn’t even that great a fall. Merely a steep slide down to the ground, even as Sid and Pinkie still clung to the mammoth’s trunk. When they saw they were completely unharmed, they gazed into the mammoth’s eyes.
“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie greeted with a smile.
“You have beautiful eyes,” Sid complimented.
“Get off my face!” The mammoth grumbled.
Pinkie Pie and Sid slid off the mammoth as a great flash of light sparked a few before them. To Sid’s surprise, and the mammoth’s brief curiosity and suspicion, Twilight Sparkle and the remainder of her friends appeared while the griffons merely hovered to the ground nearest them.
“Are you okay?” Spike asked the pair.
“Whoa…” Sid gasped. “How did you do that?”
“Yeah… I kind of forgot to mention that some of us can do magic,” Twilight Sparkle admitted sheepishly.
“I have no idea what that is, but that really could’ve been useful back there.”
“You think that’s something, just wait till you see me in action next time,” Spike spoke up.
The mammoth, finally having had enough, decided to walk on ahead. But the mammoth hadn’t gotten very far when the group, Sid included, followed the big guy.
“Hey mister!” Gabby waved for attention. “We just wanted to thank you for standing up for our friends. We sure make a pretty good team!”
“Yeah, why don’t we just head south together?” Sid offered.
“Great!” Manny answered sarcastically. “Jump on my back and relax the whole way.
“Wow, really?”
“No…”
“Well! How rude!” Rarity frowned.
“Wait, aren’t you going south?” Sid asked curiously. “The change of seasons, migration instincts. Any of this a-ringin’ a bell?”
“I guess not, bye!” The mammoth responded, still walking.
“Okay, Mr. Grouchy!” Gilda muttered. “Thanks for nothing!”
“Good luck wherever you’re going, Mr. Mammoth!” Gabby responded politely. “We’ll take it from here.”
“Well, I don’t know about you girls,” Spike spoke up. “But I think that’s enough excitement for today. Let’s get this little guy back to the herd and figure out where else we should go.”
“Hold on a minute,” Twilight Sparkle interrupted. “What about the mammoth?”
“What about him?” Rainbow Dash replied. “I think it’s pretty obvious he doesn’t want to do the whole migrating thing.”
“But why though?” Fluttershy asked. “And why was he even out here all by himself in the first place? Something doesn’t quite add up.”
“It’s a might bit curious,” Applejack admitted. “If mammoths are like elephants, they’re pack animals and yet this mammoth’s all alone. We oughtta investigate.”
“Oh please! I swear you ponies will do anything to solve a problem that’s not our own,” Gilda shook her head.
“C’mon Gilda, don’t you think this is one of those moments where we reward a good deed with another?” Gabby asked innocently.
“No… this is one of those ‘drop it and leave it alone’ moments. We should just go.”
“I’m afraid you’re outnumbered Gilda,” Twilight Sparkle assumed command. “For one, we have no idea where we are and perhaps wherever this mammoth is going, he knows the land more than we do. And besides, there’s a greater strength in numbers and we could learn from him. We should follow him.”
“Yeah… maybe I shouldn’t get involved with this,” Sid replied uncertainly. “I can hear my mama calling me, and I should probably get to migrating.”
“Well okay… it’s your choice buddy,” Pinkie Pie replied. “But I’d hate to be out there all alone if those two bullies show up.”
“Thanks for the heads up, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Sid was just about to walk away, as the Equestrians proceeded to follow the Mammoth. Unfortunately, the sloth hadn’t gone very far when the two rhinos suddenly appeared from the top of the cliff.
“HEY, YOU OVERGROWN WEASEL!” Carl called out. “WAIT TILL WE GET DOWN THERE!”
Not wanting to risk any further trouble, Sid quickly proceeded to run away and managed to catch up with the rest of the group.
“Well, that didn’t take very long,” Spike replied. “You changed your mind, Sid?”
“Eh, that south thing is way overrated,” Sid brushed off. “The heat, the crowds – who needs it?”
“If you ask me, this is much better!” Pinkie Pie smiled. “All of us together, with a pair of love birds and bachelors knockin’ about in the wild. Know what I mean big guy?”
“No, you just want a bodyguard, so you don’t become somebody’s side dish,” The mammoth retorted in annoyance.
“For your information pal, we can defend ourselves just fine,” Rainbow Dash fluttered ahead. “Those rhinos were just lucky I was holding back; otherwise, I’d give them the old Rainbow Dash special.”
“Right… sure you would’ve.”
“Aren’t you even the least bit curious that some of us ponies have horns and wings?” Fluttershy asked. “We only just brought this up, yet you’re taking this so well.”
“Because I don’t really care what you are,” The mammoth answered. “Now go away.”
“You’re a very shrewd mammal,” Sid noticed. “Okay, lead the way, Mr. Big… didn’t get the name…”
“Manfred,” The mammoth answered bluntly.
“Man-Fred?” Gilda worded out. “Wow, did you have a bad childhood.”
“I do have to agree that the name’s a mouthful,” Pinkie nodded, then lit up. “So, we’ll call you ‘Manny’. Before you object, just trust me on this. That name’s going to stick to you like glue.”
“Yeah, I like that!” Sid rambled. “How about ‘Manny the Moody Mammoth’? Or ‘Manny the Melancholy’… ‘Manny the’…”
But the sloth stopped mid-sentence when the mammoth glared at him. Afraid that he was about to be pummeled, Sid proceeded to climb the nearest tree, which was just high enough to reach the mammoth’s eye level. But rather than crushing the puny sloth to a pulp, he merely pulled the tree toward him so the sloth could look him square in the face.
“Stop following me,” Manny warned.
The mammoth snapped the tree back, the force sending the sloth sliding down to the surface. The ponies and their friends gathered toward the sloth, helping him back to his feet. They proceeded to continue trailing the mammoth despite his warnings otherwise.
“Okay! I can tell you’ve got issues!” Pinkie Pie called out. “We can just call you Manny; no fancy titles required!”
“You won’t even know we’re here,” Sid added, following Manny. “I’ll just zip the lip. When I say, ‘MMPH!’, I’m ‘MMPH!’.”
“I’m really sorry about this Gabby,” Spike apologized to the griffon. “I swear when I wanted us to have a relaxing vacation for two, this was definitely not part of the agenda.”
“Are you kidding, Spike?” Gabby replied optimistically. “We are standing in a landmark of history. There’s a lot we can learn about this landscape, with creatures we’ve never seen nor met before. And besides, the important thing is we’re in this together no matter what happens.”
“Well, color me impressed. I’ve always liked how you find the good in everything.”
“Yeah kid, well you’re not the one living with it,” Gilda grumbled.
“You know, I get you got this whole ‘I’m better than this’ personality going on,” Spike argued. “But can you ever say something ‘positive’ for once?”
“Okay… I’m positive that this whole trip is a complete waste of time. I could be at home hunting for gold, but no…”
Gilda proceeded to flutter off ahead leaving Spike confused and annoyed at the same time. Rainbow Dash was passing by, having seen the commotion.
“Don’t take it so personally Spike,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Even I don’t get her sometimes.”
For a moment, all was quiet amongst the group as they continued their way keeping a steady pace behind the mammoth. They had no idea where he was going or what lay ahead. But they figured that so long as they stuck together, any predators they could encounter would be overwhelmed by their odds. Even though a few questions still lingered in the air.
“By the way, Sid,” Pinkie broke the silence. “You mentioned the name ‘Sylvia’ before we left. Is it anyone you know?”
“I’m willing to talk of a lot of things…” Sid replied nervously. “But, uh… I’d rather not talk about this one.”
“Ooh, I get it… maybe later then.”