My Little Elysian Tail

by Stoneificaunt


Dust to Dust Gathering

Dust to Dust Gathering

Dust, now acquainted with Zecora, asked her if she could tell him about the world he was in. She was happy to comply, but could only tell him about her own country that she came from; although she did tell Dust a little about Equestria: about Ponies and other indigenous creatures native to this world. So far, he gathered that he was in the country of Equestria and the two monarchs control the sun and the moon, the land was relatively at peace with it self, Ahrah made a point out about how the world very well could be at it's destruction.

Zecora questioned the sword's judgement immediately after his statement.
"How can the world go to rubble if the world isn't in trouble?"
"The "Trouble" that you so put it might not come at this time, but it doesn't mean it still wont come in the future." Dust listened to the conversation with disinterest, after a couple minutes though, he began to have flashbacks of when he first came to this world. He interrupted them by talking to Ahrah that his memory is coming back. Zecora inquired on what they were talking about, Ahrah simply told her that Dust had lost his memory and certain things bring them back.
After a rather uneventful lapse of time, Dust was ready to leave her host and get back to his main goal. Before he could, Zecora pressed him for a favor.

"Before you go, may I ask for a favor?"
"Depends on what the favor is." He grabbed Ahrah in his usual fashion of holding him backwards. Now ready for anything, he stood before Zecora ready for her request. "So what is it you want?"
"After I found thee, I had to use some of my herbs. As you can see, I am quite depleted and need new resources to replace the ones that are empty." She then walked to some saddlebags and put them on, opening the bags, she brought out a list and gave it to Dust.
Taking the list, he mentally read all the things on the list.
Evertree Moss
Timber Spit
Manticore Fur
Hydra scale
Poison Joke
Flour
Lilac
Baking Powder
Olive Oil
Magic Crystal

"Now I need you to get the first five things while I go to Ponyville and get the other five." Dust looked at the list again, wondering what these ingredients look like. Sensing his confusion, she brought out a journal that had some wear and tear and gave it to him. "Turn to page Five." He did as she said, and on page five were drawn pictures of the first five things on the list. After glancing over the pictures and info, Dust closed the book and gave it back to the zebra.
"Ok, Zecora I'll go get these ingredients for you then meet you back here." She nodded, and they both went off to go collect the Ingredients.
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At Canterlot, Shining Armor was waiting for the carriages to be ready. He was getting anxious to get to Ponyville and be there for his sister Twilight. They hadn't really got to see eachother ever since the Changeling disaster at his wedding. It had been about two months ago and he still attended to his duties as captain of the guard. Relatively, the only things that were strange around in Ponyville that he heard of since his wedding was a talking cat that had a pair of boots.(GO READ PUSS IN BOOTS GOES TO EQUESTRIA NOW Link.)In hindsight, he hasn't really at all kept much contact with his little sister, which probaly lead to the reason of her hating him a bit at the wedding.

Spitfire came over to comfort the captain prince of Equestria and to know whats wrong.
"Hey Shine, what's wrong?" He looked at her and sighed; he really hated it when people call him Shine.
"Nothing that should concern your nosy flank in, that's for sure." He continued looking into space with his thoughts to himself, but Spitfire would have none of that.
"Hey is this about the bet, cause you can still join in if you want."Sighing, Shining took the hint that Spitfire wont give up on her quest to know whats wrong.
"It's nothing... Just family matters that's all." Smirking Spitfire began her comment.
"Not getting enough playtime with your wife huh." Now blushing Shining tried to regain the situation as fast as he could.
"What!? NO IT'S nothing like... That at all. *sigh*It's about my sister."still smirking she Interrupted him with another witty comment.

"Oh Shining, you sick unicorn, don't tell me you fantasize about your sister." Now flushed with anger, he was about to go at her with everything he had. Knowing that things were about to get out of hand, Spitfire quickly apologized for what she said."OK, dude, I'm sorry for what I said, I was just trying to give you a hard time. Whats really going on?"
Trying to stay calm now Shining was mentally holding himself back to not wail on her all of his force and fury. After several seconds he then went back to his routine of staring into space. He then tried to continue their conversation.
"Like I said it is about my sister and the case that I haven't really kept in contact with her in a while." Raising an eyebrow she began to speak.
"So you haven't spoke to your sis in awhile no biggie." He glared at her making Spitfire wince back then continued.
"It is a big deal cause I haven't so much as talked to her in two months. And before that I haven't even spoke to her till I was getting married."
"Well that's why your on this mission right, to be there for your sister and maybe protect her like a knight in Shining Armor." She said while smirking and still cracking jokes at him. He just didn't pay any heed to it and just threatened her.
"Yeah, laugh all you want, but just know I could strip you of your rank at any time, Spitty." Her face went serious after his statement and insult.
"Hmph! Whatever, dude, your just sore that you can't think of a good insult to counter anything I throw at ya, so you result to the Oh I'll strip your rank cause I'M A BABY. I swear your like that pompous Blueblood." He looked down to the ground. He was acting a little bit like Prince Blueblood telling everyone that he will either strip them of their rank or title and throw in a dungeon.
"I'm sorry Spitfire I just have been worried about my sister to take any jokes right now, can you forgive me?" She looked at him and thought about accepting his apology but had a better idea.
"I'll only accept your apology if you partake in the bet the guards have." He smiled and said Sign me up.
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It had been 15 minutes since Dust left Zecora's hut to look for the ingredients she requested of him. The first ingredient was easy to find as he was surrounded by Everfree trees and he just needed to collect what he thought was enough. The second one was unexpected for he fought wolves made of bark and twigs, he managed to hold one down and collect the spit in a bottle Zecora gave him before he left. Now he was going for the final three things and head back to Zecora's hut.

"Dust, I must speak to you." Ahrah said out of the blue.
"What is it you want to speak about, Ahrah?" he asked, stopping himself from proceeding any further.
"I have been going over some of my memory and I feel you should at least know some stuff that will help you in the future."
"Like what?"
"Like to remember the Dust Storm and other moves to benefit your journey."
"I still remember the Dust Storm, Ahrah, what other moves do I need to learn?"
"Up ahead are some trees with vines. I want you to jump up and grab them." He looked and grudgingly did as Ahrah said. Once he jumped up and grabbed the vines, flashbacks occurred and he remembered how to vine jump. Now Vine jumping up to the top of the tree he could see the vastness of the whole Everfree forest and a town he assumed to be Ponyville then he saw a mountain with a castle hanging on the side of it.
It was all beautiful to say the least the wind blowing through his clothes the birds that would occasionally fly in a v shape and the beauty of the world showing itself to him for the first time.

"Hard to believe this world could be at it's destruction huh, Ahrah?"
"That's why we are here, Dust, to save this world if it need our help... Now we must proceed with our objective wouldn't want Zecora waiting." Dust nodded and jumped down from the tree, like it was instinct he landed on his feet without so much as a scratch on him. After a brisk run, he came upon a field of Blue flowers that looked like the flower described in the journal. Using a small Dust storm he floated a bouquet of Poison joke together and wrapped it in some cloth and put it in his bag. Now he just had two things left on the list.
Walking out of the forested area to a swamp he had read that hydras live in swampy areas. After wandering around the swamp, he was ready to call it quits and look for the Manticore Fur. Before he and Ahrah could leave, three heads spurted out of the swamp and two more joined its brothers out of the swamp as well. He was ready to perform the Dust Storm, but Ahrah ceased his swinging; he had another idea.

"Dust, when the time is right, Counter their head when they strike." After he told Dust what to do, the five hydra heads lunged at him, and at the last moment he countered their attack at the last moment. Sending their heads flying and blinded by the power of Ahrah's blade whenever a counter occurs, Dust used an aerial Dust Storm to get in close to the Hydra's body and scraped off 5 hydra scales.
Of course the hydra had winced in pain and reared its heads back up to strike Dust. Like it was instinct, he back flipped out of the reach of the hydra's heads. Once he was a good distance away from the beast, Ahrah suggested to flee and let the beast live for another day. Reluctantly complying Dust ran away with scales in tow.

After running away, Dust was know ready to just go back Zecora's hut and call it a day. Though he knew Zecora would have to go and get the fur on her own. So he went to go and look for the so-called Manticore. Another several minutes went by, and he and Ahrah came to a gorge. The gorge itself led down to a spiky swamp below, it appeared to once be crossable but some of the stone pillars had collapsed. Ready to traverse back, a loud roar could be heard in the distance.
He had no way to go but to jump the gap. Hopping from pillar to pillar, they closed the gap and jumped as far as he could. With even more flashbacks, white wings formed from his back, flapping once and gaining enough lift to clear the gap and reach the other side. Relieved to clear the gap he proceeded to find the Manticore.
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End of Chapter 4
Chapter revisioned by Star Plasma