//------------------------------// // Well, This Blows Part Three // Story: Making Friends // by TheKing2001 //------------------------------// Silverspeed was quickly coming to the conclusion she hated nature. Maybe not all nature but certainly the Everfree. It was hot in her armor, she was sweaty and getting tired of having to dodge low hanging branches and having to swat away the constant stream of bugs that seemed to like her mane and tail. “Ow!” Trixie shouted as Silverspeed flicked her tail to scare away a fly and she looked back to see a red mark on Trixie’s cheek. “Sorry,” Silverspeed muttered as she blushed. “Just these damn bugs. I hate this forest.” “It’s not so bad once you get away from the monsters trying to kill us and stuff,” Roseluck said as the mare fanned herself with a hoof. “But I agree, the bugs are a bit much. And my hooves are aching.” “Same,” Trixie agreed as Sunset stood on top a rock and looked around. “Imagine how I feel,” Shoeshine grumbled as she drank from a canteen. “I lifted a three hundred pound reptile and threw it.” “Trixie thought you were strong,” Trixie smirked as the other mare rolled her eyes. “I’m strong but I get tired just like everypony else Trixie. How’s Sunset doing?” Shoeshine asked as they all looked at the exhausted looking mare. “I’m fine just thinking,” Sunset answered and turned to look at her. “Why did you save me? You and I got into it a few days ago, you could have saved Trixie and left me to die.” “Do you know how many times Cara and I get into it?” Shoeshine asked and Sunset shook her head. “A lot, trust me. I’m really not too keen on leaving anypony to die, even you. I don’t even know Trixie that well either actually.” “Hm.” Sunset didn’t really know what else to say to that as she jumped off the rock and yawned. The seemingly endless night was making her more tired than she had originally thought. “So what’s your story?” Roseluck gestured to Silverspeed and Sunset. “I know a little about Trixie, some about Shoeshine and the other member of our group but don’t really know you two all that much.” “Not much to tell. Parents own a really successful trading business shipping stuff to different countries plus trade stocks and own the mansion on the far side of town,” Silverspeed said casually as the mares continued walking. “Was supposed to follow in their hoofsteps but went a different route in life evidently.” “And that somehow ended you in the Guard?” Derpy asked and gestured at her gold armor. “Yeah. I’ve always been good with a bow and arrow, the guard always is in need of ponies so I figured what the hay. Graduated at the top of my class and all,” Silverspeed shrugged. “Mainly in aerial attacks. Pretty fast flyer as well.” “Uh huh and what’s your wing power then?” Sunset asked curiously. “Twelve point five.” “That’s a bit under Rainbow Dashs but still pretty good,” Roseluck whistled approvingly. “We should all tell about ourselves. Shoeshine?” “Uh okay? Not really much to tell about me either I guess. I’m the town farrier so I know practically everpony in town. Known Carrot Top for Celestia, years so I live with her and her daughter. Born and raised here in Ponyville. Other than that I’m pretty boring really. Wake up, go to work, hang out with my friends at the bar and come home,” Shoeshine commented as the blue mare shrugged. “I’m a pretty boring pony. Oh and I have a sister that you all met. Nice pony but thinks she’s a dog.” “So that’s why she was licking my door when we left,” Sunset mused and Shoeshine nodded. “I don’t really like doctors, they annoy me. Asking all these questions and shit. Then there’s the needles. I hate needles.” Sunset shuddered at the thought of needles and inhaled quickly. “Trixie next!” Trixie shouted eagerly as Roseluck shut her mouth and shot her a dirty look. “Trixie is the greatest magician excluding Hoofdini to ever trot on Equestrian soil. Trixie is from Neigh Orleans, but has been around Equestria performing her spells for all sorts of ages, birthday parties to a funeral.” “A funeral?” Roseluck gave a confused head tilt. “That’s a bit odd.” “Trixie thought so too but bits are bits after all and she has to eat.” Trixie was too proud to admit the fact that being a magician didn’t actually pay all that well. There was a reason her wagon was falling apart and not for sentimental reasons as she put it to Raindrops. She often ignored it’s issues as long as she could in favor of buying new magic items and food. Gotta spend money to make money after all. “You okay?” Derpy asked as she patted the mare on her back. “Yeah just worried about Rainy. She’s probably terrified,” Trixie admitted and sighed. “I’m scared too. My daughters are kidnapped but in all honesty, I’m just trying to keep busy so I don’t break down. It’s kinds difficult in all honesty,” Derpy admitted as the two hugged. “I know,” Trixie sighed as Roseluck inhaled. “So I’m Roseluck, I run a flower shop with my sisters Lily and Daisy. I’m the youngest of the three but the more socialable one. I chose to not go to college-” “Why do I feel like we’re at an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting?” Sunset interjected and Roseluck coughed. “Right, sorry carry on.” “Thank you. Anyway, I’m really afraid of literally everything. I hate heights most of all though. I’m really good at growing flowers obviously,” Roseluck jabbed a hoof at her rose cutie mark on her flank. “Name and everything, roses are my favorite. That’s about it for me.” “I’m from Cloudsdale presumably like Silverspeed. I kinda had to move here because Dinky is a unicorn and well, pretty self explanatory why I came to the ground. Earth ponies and unicorns are always nicer anyway. Nopony making fun of my eyes here. I deliver the mail, help ponies move with Raindrops and work with the weather. I have countless friends here which is nice,” Derpy shrugged as she glanced at her flank. “I’m good at finding air currents to flight easier, according to my cutie mark.” The others nodded at that as they all stared Sunset patiently as she gave them a confused look. “What?” “We all went. It’s your turn now,” Silverspeed answered dryly and smirked. “Spill the tea, what’s up with you? How you get your mark, where you from, what’s your relationship with the Princess and all.” “I accidentally set half of the royal garden in Canterlot on fire practicing a spell and got my cutie mark afterwards. Apparently the Princess said I was floating in the sky and sparks were flying off me. She had to some sorta spell thing to calm down my overload,” Sunset waved her hooves around for emphasis. “As for where I’m from, I have no clue. We always assumed Canterlot.” “How do you not know where you’re from?” Trixie demanded as they all sat in a small circle near a bush. Sunset shrugged in response as she blew some of her mane out of her eyes. “I was found wrapped in a blanket on the doorstep of the castle by Princess Celestia and she never found anything on me. No name, nothing. So she just called me Sunset Shimmer because she found me shortly after setting the sun. She had the Guards look around for a missing filly but nopony claimed me so she just kept me as her own,” Sunset explained as she popped a berry into her mouth from her saddlebags. “And as for relationship, I’m technically her daughter if you want to get down to it.” The others gave her stunned looks and she rolled her eyes. Not many ponies talked about her outside of Canterlot apparently. “I never knew she had a daughter. That explains why you were working hard to make it perfect,” Derpy mused as she locked an eye on Sunset. “Right?” “Right,” Sunset lied and Shoeshine stared at her intently. Sunset figured that if she told the truth about trying to cancel the Celebration because of Nightmare Moon and Celestia refused would technically make Celestia responsible for the hostages being taken and the other mares would be technically pissed at her. Which she was too tired to deal with a bloody uprising. “I’m gonna go scout out above. I’ll be back,” Silverspeed said as Sunset nodded and the pegasus took off above the tree line. “I’m ready for bed,” Roseluck yawned and stretched out on the mud. Normally she would hate her coat getting messy but she had more important things to worry about. “Why are you here Roseluck? I mean, this is the Everfree and I’ve seen you get scared from a fly landing on your flank once,” Shoeshine pointed out as Roseluck sighed. “Oh I’m terrified right now. But I’m just thinking about what Daisy would do if our positions were swapped. If it was me and Lily taken instead of her, she’d be right here trying to get us back like how I’m doing. Daisy always was the bravest out of us three,” Roseluck crushed a rock under her hoof. “I’m scared we’re all gonna die in here and then this will have been for nothing or the Elements aren’t gonna be there. Then what? It’s night time forever and everypony else dies a slow death.” “I’d rather not think about that,” Shoeshine admitted after a moment as she patted Roseluck on the back. “If it means anything, I think you’re just as brave as Daisy. I think she’d be proud of you right now.” “Celestia I hope so,” Roseluck muttered as Sunset awkwardly cleared her throat. “I agree,” Sunset admitted hesitantly. “I don’t know Daisy much or at all really, but she seemed like a good judge of character.” “Thanks,” Roseluck sighed as she yawned and placed her head on her forelegs. “I’m gonna take a quick na-ow!” An dart slammed into her into neck as everypony froze and stared at it, each letting out their own startled gasps. “What is this?” Trixie muttered as she pulled the dart and Roseluck sniffed at it before her eyes widened. “It’s a tranquilizer dart. It has uhm what’s it called immobilion on it,” Roseluck explained as she yawned again. “Supposed to knock you out.” Another dart slammed into her flank and she rolled her head to stare at a deer with a blow gun walking into the entrance as she and the others passed out.