//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 // Story: Hot Heads, Cold Hearts and Nerves of Steel // by Trinary //------------------------------// & & & In the shadowy subterranean world beneath Equestria, Zecora and the three intrepid foals: Dinky Doo, Pipsqueak and Alula rested up after their recent encounter with the fearsome bushwoolies. Dinky and Pipsqueak were enjoying having real food to eat while Alula recovered from her scratch. She stretched her injured leg a bit, trying to see how much she could move it without it hurting. Zecora meanwhile was meditating in her normal pose--standing atop the end her long bamboo staff. Upside down. On her head. Normal is relative, after all. Pipsqueak tilted his head, trying to look at the upside down zebra's face. “How long d'ya think she can do that for?” Dinky tapped her hoof against her face as she pondered ponderously. “I dunno. I’d get dizzy if I tried that, but Miss Zecora can probably do some rilly cool stuff.” “Do zebras even get dizzy?” Alula wondered. “I dunthink I’ve ever seen a dizzy zebra, so maybe they just don’t get dizzy.” Her friends nodded, not thinking to ask how many zebras she had scene. “What kinda cool things?” Pip asked Dinky, slurping a bowl full of water. Dinky thought about it. “Um, balance onna stick?” Pip tilted his head. “That it?” “Cloudy told me that Rainbow Dash said she’s got all kinds of awesome zebra magic stuff and everything.” Alula supplied. “That too!” Dinky thought for a moment. “An’ be here for us, so that’s rilly good.” Meanwhile Zecora hummed and chanted softly under her breath in another language. Dinky listened, looking to Alula and Pip to see if they understand anything. Pip scratched his head. “Sounds kinda funny.” “I dunthink that’s Equestrian. It must be, like, some kinda zebra language.” Alula suggested. Dinky squirmed, trying to be polite while getting anxious “Maybe she could go a little faster? I wanna get outta here, an’ we can’t do that if she’s medicatin’.” “She’s an adult,” Alula reminded her as if that explained everything. And to a little filly or colt, it did. “She’s gotta know what she’s doing.” Unsatisfied, Dinky walked over to the still meditating zebra and looked up. She reached out a hoof to tap the pole, but stopped herself. Just as she was about to work up the nerve to ask Zecora how long she was going to be, the zebra’s eyes snapped wide open, her blue almond-shaped eyes staring right into Dinky’s. Dinky squeaked as she leaped back. “H-hi, Miss Zecora,” she smiled shakily. Zecora’s own smile was calm and serene, with no thought given to her odd position. “Why, hello to you too. Is there something I can do for you?” Alula cleared her throat and took a step forward. “Um, Miss Zecora? How long’re we gonna stay here? Didn’tcha say there was a lotta important stuff to do?” The zebra shaman neatly flipped down off her pole, landing on her hooves. “As soon as you are ready, we shall go. It is true, we have much to do and cannot be slow.” “I think we’re ready t’ go now. Like, rilly ready.” Dinky nodded. Alula grumbled under her breath. “If we can’t be slow why’d we spend a couple hours with you sitting on top of your pole?” “Stop being grumpy.” Pipsqueak hissed at her quietly. “She gave us food ‘n stuff!” “Just seems silly to say we gotta hurry, then do nothing for hours.” Alula whispered back. Apparently she didn’t whisper quietly enough for Zecora turned to Alula directly. “Though I am pleased to have found you before you were hurt any more, you are not the only ones I am here for.” Alula was skeptical. “And you did that by sittin’ on top of a stick?” Zecora smiled. “I find that meditation brings balance to my mind, as well as my body. It may seem strange to you, but it is most calming for me.” She walked over to gently nose the bandage on Alula’s injured leg. Once sure that it was secure and not hurting her, she tossed her head. “I have taken more than enough time, though. Come--let us go.” Dinky looked back and forth, torn between staying with Alula and wanting to stick close to Zecora. “Pip, can you help ‘lula for a second?” She asked. “But…” He pouted at her. He wanted to walk next to Dinky! The little filly hit him with the big doe eyes. “Pleeeease?” “Okaaay,” Pip sighed. “But she better not keep callin’ me a dummy. I’m gonna start getting offended!” He walked over and pressed his side against her bad side, allowing her to lean against him. The injured filly rolled her eyes speaking matter-of-factly and with no real bite to the words. “But you are a dummy, Dummy.” She accepted the help regardless. “Uff! You’re...heavy.” Pip grunted, staggering. “S’cause I got more muscle and stuff than you do, Dummy.” Zecora looked down at Dinky as she walked by her side. “Are you quite fine? Is there something on your mind?” The little filly nodded, looking up at her imploringly. “How much more’ve we gotta do? I know we gotta go see Rainbow Dash an’ everypony else, but after that … we can all go home then, right?” Zecora was a touch slow in answering. “When the trouble is past, you will all see your home at last.” Dinky could be pretty mature, but at the end of the day she was still a lost filly who wanted to be home with her mom. This showed when she let a hint of a whine into her response. “But how long’ll that take? We’ve been here forever!” Feeling sorry for the lost little filly, Zecora leaned down to gently press her muzzle against Dinky’s forehead. “I am truly so sorry for your suffering, my child. For as long as you’ve been here, it may still be a while.” Dinky let out a tiny sniffle as she pressed herself against Zecora. Slightly limping along, Alula interrupted them. “Hey, Miss Zecora? You can make stuff, right?” “Stuff,” the zebra repeated as she raised an eyebrow elegantly. “Can you be a bit more specific, or is that too tough?” “I was just wondering if you could use your zebra magic thing to make some armor or something to keep us safe.” Zecora shook her head. “Alas, this I cannot do. That is not something I can whip up in a brew.” Shooting the foals a reassuring smile, she went on. “In conjured shells we need not hide. To our defense, natures energies shall provide.” “Darn. I was hoping we could get some cool sorta zebra armor or something.” Alula pouted. “You’re heavy enough already.” Pip grumbled under his breath. Alula rolled her eyes. “Dummy.” She commented as she leaned more heavily on him, just because. “Diiiiinky!” Pip whined as he stumbled to the side. “I need heeelp! ‘lula’s crushing me with her big fat flank!” “Dinky, make Dummy stop being a dummy!” Alula added. The exasperated filly let out an irritated grumble. “Would you two be nice!?” She marched back around to shoot her most menacing glare at her two friends--missing Zecora’s attempt to cover her mouth to hide her smile. “We gotta be sneaky if we’re gonna get outta here, an’ fighting isn’t sneaky!” “But the Dummy...” Alula started up. “Then you quit bein’ a dummy too!” Dinky stomped her hoof adorably. Alula grumbled. “M’not a dummy. He’s the dummy. S’why he’s called Dummy.” Pipsqueak rolled his eyes. “S’okay Dinky. Alula’s just being ’lula.” Zecora chose that moment to clear her throat. “My little ponies, please be still! There are many dangers in the tunnels that bear us ill.” All three little ponies suddenly froze in place, with Alula instinctively placing a protective wing over Pip and Dinky. “What kindsa dangers?” The cryptic zebra didn’t answer. She just tossed her head, indicating that they should follow her while holding a hoof up to her mouth for silence. Once she was assured that they were listening, she quietly led them through the tunnels. A softly murmured word cased the tip of her staff to emit a soft green glow, giving them a (somewhat spooky) source of light. The dim, eerie green light cast all sort of shadows on the irregularly shaped caves. Full of branching tunnels, holes, stalagmites, stalactites, columns and all sorts of things, the tunnels were transformed—with some help from three overactive imaginations—into macabre forms of monsters and spirits. Dinky swallowed nervously and kept going forward, decidedly happy to have an adult leading the way. Just then, there was a sudden movement and a high pitched squeak as a lone bat dropped down from the ceiling, nearly dive-bombing the travelers as it flew off. “AAAUGH!” Dinky’s sudden scream echoed off the cave walls even after she clasped a hoof over her mouth. “...sorry.” “Dinky, c’mere.” Alula lifted her other wing for her. “I’m a’kay,” Dinky assured her. “…rilly.” She swallowed. Pip, who had saddled up even closer to Alula, looked up at her. “H-how come yer not scared ‘lula?” “‘Cause I gotta be brave,” the little pegasus announced officiously. “Now c’mere Dinky. Don’t be a dummy, that’s Pip’s job.” “Still got a big flank.” Pip mumbled. Zecora chuckled to herself, allowing herself to roll her eyes. Dinky looked around, then ahead to Zecora, relaxing a little when she saw their guide was unworried. Still… “I think we gotta go back to bein’ sneaky.” She whispered. “‘Kay,” Alula nodded. “I’m gonna be sneaky like a ninja.” She pointedly lifted her wing for Dinky again. “Now c’mere, so we can all be sneaky together.” Pip nodded. “I’m gonna be sneaky like a pirate! Carefully on tip-hooves stealing...” He hummed as he gingerly pranced on his hooves. Zecora shook her head, still amused at her charges’ antics. Dinky looked up nervously, wondering if there are any more bats or--other things. She decided to take Alula up on her offer. “I’ll help you be sneaky.” Alula wrapped her other wing around Dinky, placing herself firmly in the middle of a Dinky-Pip sandwich. “‘Kay, now let’s all be sneaky together.” As the wound their way through the caves they noticed something new, something they hadn’t seen before. “Hey what’s that?” Pipsqueak asked, pointing his hoof at a glob of faintly glowing green goo. “Dunno,” Alula shrugged. “…dare you eat it.” “What? No way!” Pip stuck out his tongue. The filly snickered. “Chicken!” “Why don’t you eat it then?” Pip retorted. “Cuz I dared you to first,” Alula reminded him of proper foalhood etiquette. “Duh.” Dinky meanwhile went up and gently tugged on Zecora’s cloak. “Um, what is that stuff?” she asked innocently. Zecora turned to see what Dinky was pointing at and stiffened slightly. “It is nothing Dinky, pay it no heed. Come children, we must make speed.” Dinky tilted her head. “What’s a ‘heed’?” Before Zecora could answer, a soft chittering sound emerged from a crack in the wall, just above where the goo was. Beyond that crack lay a branching tunnel. The noise of chitters and gentle clacking could be heard echoing down it. Alula leapt back, favoring her bad leg while holding it up as if ready to step on something. “Gaah! Stupid spiders...” Pip looked dubious and slightly nervous. “That didn’t sound like a spider t’me...” “That’s a big spider,” Dinky agreed, stepping a little closer to Zecora. Zecora narrowed her eyes, making her movements slow and casual, especially so as not to alert or startle the foals. Movement on the other side of the crack drew Alula’s attention, causing her to lean in closer for a better look. “C’mere, stupid spider,” she grumbled under her breath. “I can take you with a hoof tied behind my back.” “Or wrapped up inna bandage?” Dinky whispered back. “That too.” There was a flash of something behind the crack and a gentle nudging sensation that Alula felt in her mind. It seemed to say, Little Wing... Alula’s eyes went wide, and she awkwardly limped a little closer. “...Cloudy?” Zecora called out a warning. “Be wary of what you see! It is not what you think it to be!” A light-purple eye appeared in the crevice, one Alula would recognize anywhere. Cloud Kicker. Her big sis was here to make everything better. “Cloudy!” Alula’s face lit up as she either didn’t hear or ignored Zecora’s warning, hobbling closer to Cloud Kicker. “What’s your sister doing inna wall?” Pip asked, tilting his head to try and get a better angle. “Comin’ out of it?” Dinky put a hoof to her chin. “Or was that the wardrobe?” Wordlessly, Zecora waved her staff and chanted under her breath. “Ah say ento pi alpha mabi upendi in comma coriyama!” She smacked her staff against the cave wall. From where it impacted, a flash spread across the wall like a shock wave. When it came to the crack, Alula saw Cloud Kicker’s eye shimmer and flash green momentarily. “Wha-what!?” Alula’s wings flitted, propelling her backwards. “You’re not Cloudy!” Pip and Dinky clung to her. Out of support or fear, or both, she didn’t know and just then, she didn’t care. An angry snarl crossed the face of the normally placid zebra shamaness. “Begon foul pest! Vile creature, flee back to your nest! I am wise to your tricks. If you trouble these foals again, I will surely put you in a fix!” She stomped her hoof. The, whatever it was, on the other side seemed to take Zecora’s warning to heart for the eye withdrew from the crack in the wall. A moment later the sound of wings buzzing could be heard, slowly getting lower as it moved further away. Dinky and Pipsqueak held each other tightly, shaking hard from … whatever it was they had just seen. “That a big ruddy spider.” Alula snorted, still breathing a little heavily from the encounter. “Spiders don’t have wings, Dummy.” “What wuz it, then?” Dinky asked. “‘Cause that wasn’t Miss Cloud Kicker--that was scary.” She looked over to her friend. “You a’kay, ‘lula?” “Fine.” The young pegasus’ answer came a little too quickly. “Let’s go, okay?” Reaching out a comforting hoof, Zecora began to speak. “Little one--” Alula opened her mouth to say something--maybe to brush Zecora off, or else to mention how Pipsqueak was (obviously) scared--but the only noise that came out was a small whimper. Zecora gently laid her hoof on Alula’s back. Pipsqueak almost overbalanced as Dinky let go of him and hurried over to Alula, wrapping her head in one of her infamous get-better hugs. Pip soon recovered and went over to join the group hug in progress as Alula shook and sniffled. After a few minutes, the young pegasus was finally calm enough to try speaking again. “C... can we go now? Please?” Her voice was much quieter than usual, and lacked the bravado everypony had become accustomed to hearing. Zecora nodded. “Everything will be fine, I promise you. You will make it home and no longer have need to be blue.” Alula nodded slowly, flitting her wings in an attempt to hide a shiver. “Thanks.” Dinky and Pip gave her one last comforting squeeze before they fell into step, walking closely behind Zecora, Alula comfortingly being left in the middle. They kept walking until she came to a sudden halt, causing the trio to bump into her and each other. After climbing out of the pile of tiny ponies, Dinky gave an imperceptible gulp as she peered ahead, trying to see what made Zecora stop. Alula protectively shifted a bit in front of Dinky and Pip, speaking very quietly. “Somethin’ wrong, Miss Zecora?” By way of answer, Zecora waved her staff in front of her, the light shimmering and reflecting off the ground, only it wasn’t the cave floor. In front of them lay a vast underwater lake, one that made the one the trio had crossed earlier seem like a puddle. This one filled the entire length and breadth of their view, with no visible way across. “To reach what we are looking for, we must pass beyond to the far shore.” She rhymed, as was her wont. “Um ... how we gonna do that?” Alula asked a touch nervously. If that smaller lake had a giant squid-monster, who knew what would be in this super-giant lake? She looked to their mysterious zebra guide, wondering if she had some way to get them across without being eaten. The answer was not long in coming. Zecora exhaled gently and closed her eyes. She took a step forward...and her hoof stopped atop the water. She took another step until she was literally walking on the water. Pip’s jaw dropped and Dinky’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates. “I didn’t know Zebras could do that!” “That’s really, really neat!” Alula chimed in. “But ... how are we gonna get across? Do we ride on your back?” Zecora, still standing on the lake’s surface, shook her head. “There is no need for me to be your steed. You will all walk upon the lake. I shall teach you for it is easy as cake!” Alula’s eyes went wide as her wings buzzed excitedly. “So ... awesome.” “I dunno, cake’s kinda hard.” Dinky commented. “Well, a’kay, makin’ it’s hard--the cake itself s’kinda fwooshy.” “Fwooshy?” Pip looked at her, confused. “Miss Derpy cooks funny.” Alula explained. “It’s not funny,” Dinky defended her mother immediately. “It’s... um, thorough. An’ crispy.” “‘Least you learned how to use a fire extinguisher,” was Alula’s comment. Zecora cleared her throat meaningfully. Suitably chastised, the foals all turned their attention back to her. “Oh.” Dinky laid her ears back. “Sorry, Miss Zecora.” “To cross the waters’ path, you must cleanse your mind. Do not let anger or fear rend you blind. To walk on water, you must be light. Just think good thoughts and focus on what is bright." “‘Kay, that doesn’t sound so hard.” Alula sounded confident as she boldly stretched out her front hoof onto the lake. There was a splash as she promptly fell in. “Dumb water...” Pip giggled to Dinky. “Guess ‘lula’s too heavy!” Dinky snorted and nodded in agreement. “You should get out of the water, my little filly. And you may want to do it quickly,” Zecora smiled with bemusement. “The eels and leeches might mistake you for a treat, especially when they try to nibble at your little feet.” Alula hastily scrambled out of the water, dancing up and down on the shore and shaking her legs out. “But don’t we havta say magic words?” Pip asked, tilting his head. “You always say magic stuff!” With an almost embarrassed little smile, Zecora leaned forward to whisper into his ear. “It is true I often use chants and incantations. These are uttered to help focus my mind, much like my meditations. But to tell the truth—even if I feel a little like a fool, I do not need to say any words—I just think it sounds cool.” She winked at him. His mouth widening into an ‘o’ of understanding, Pip nodded. “Gotcha!” He winked back at her. “So what do we do?” Dinky asked. Zecora walked back to the shoreline, where Alula was frantically checking herself over for anything slimy and slithery or creepy and crawly. “Alula, I need to borrow a feather.” Satisfied that she was clean, Alula looked up. “Why?” “So that I may do something clever.” Zecora replied, explaining nothing. Alula looked at her wing and then back to the zebra. She stretched her wing out and grimaced as she pulled a feather out. “Here.” With a grateful nod, Zecora took the feather in her mouth and gently dropped it. It fluttered down until it softly landed down on the waters’ surface. “The feather floats, as a leaf upon the wind. We must embody this lightness to soar to the other end.” Pip looked confused. “So … we gotta get Featherweight?” “I dun think so.” Dinky scratched her head. “How d’we get to float?” “The heart bears the weight of your body; you must still its troubles to be free. Balance turmoil and fear with virtue: think of the love and friendship, of the ponies close to you.” Zecora explained. Alula looked skeptical. “Uh…mebe you should start with Pip? I mean, he’s the smallest so probably’d be the easiest to float!” Unable to argue with that logic, Pip swallowed and took a step forward. “O-okay. S-so I just gotta talk about my friends and stuff?” At Zecora’s nod, Pip shut his eyes. “Well, I have a Mum and Dad back in Ponyville. We moved there from Trottingham. Mum makes my favorite meal, special just for me whenever I’m kinda sad. An’ every night, my Dad reads me stories of sailors and pirates and far off places…” A smile crossed his face. “I used to be kinda lonely, but now I have lotsa friends! There’s Rumble and Featherweight, they’re pegasusus who can already fly! Chowder’s a nice guy who really knows how to cook and stuff! There’s also Snips and Snails—they’re kinda funny, but in a good way!” He paused then looked over to the two fillies. “Dinky and Alula are my coolest friends ever. Even if ‘lula is a bit of meanie sometimes, but that’s cuz she’s scared and misses her mommy. She’s the bravest filly I know, even when she’s only ‘tending to be brave when she’s really scared too. She always tries to protect me and Dinky so she doesn’t have to be scared herself.” There was a sniffle. “Do not…” Alula hiccuped, wiping her muzzle. Pip walked over and gave her a hug. To everypony’s surprise, Alula hugged him back fiercely, without a word of protest. “Dummy.” “Hugs aren’t dumb.” He replied. Then Pipsqueak walked over and gave Dinky one of her own special get-better-hugs. Dinky cuddled against him. “Yeah, those're rilly nice.” She agreed. “You're really nice.” Pip replied, blushing. She didn’t seem to notice his red face so she just beamed back at him. “Thanks. You're rilly nice too. Even for a colt.” Pip glomped her tight, making Dinky squeak before hugging him back. “When I moved to Ponyville from Trottingham, I was kinda lonely. All the other foals either ignored me or picked on me for being small or having not having a Ponyville accent.” He leaned his head against hers. “You were the first friend I made in Ponyville.” Dinky hugged his foreleg like a teddy bear “'M glad I made you my friend, Pippy. You're neat, an' cool, an'... um, nice. You're one of my bestest friends!” Pip stood a little taller, wearing a smile that stretched from ear to ear. Zecora beckoned him forward with her hoof. “Now, you are ready. Come take your steps, stand steady!” Taking a deep breath, Pip puffed out his chest and strode boldly forth—or at least as much as he could with his tiny legs. He stretched out his right front hoof out onto the lake and—it stood firm on its surface! He reached out with his other front hoof and the water held it up too! Alula and Dinky’s eyes went wide as Pip took a couple of steps until he had joined Zecora in fully standing on the lake’s surface. “This is so cool!” Pip announced. “Dinky! ‘lula! C’mon, you gotta try this!” Gulping nervously but putting on a brave face, Alula stepped up to the water’s edge. “I—I dunno what to say!” Her wings fluttered in agitation. The Kicker Clan was renown for its stoicism and putting on a brave front, and here was this zebra asking Alula to lay her heart bare in front of everypony. It was hard, especially after what happened earlier. Seeing as much, Zecora offered some soothing words of advice. “Alula, being strong means facing your fear. You have to do this if we are to move on from here. Fear is not something from which you can hide, but face it deep down inside.” She offered her an encouraging smile. “You need to be a pillar of courage for a little more if we are to going to reach the other shore.” “O-okay,” Alula gulped. “Well, I gotta really big family, a Clan! There’s my parents, my big sis Cloud Kicker--my real sis!--Aunt Wind and my big cousins Storm and Star and, well, everypony in the clan! They’re really strong and brave and I wanna be just like them! And then there’s Dinky’s neat and stuff! Like, super-amazingly neato, except even neater than that!” “Aw, thanks! You’re neat too!” Dinky beamed. Zecora nodded proudly at Alula. “We may yet find what we seek! And what about young Pipsqueak?” “He's a dumb 'fraidycolt and he has cooties and he's a dummy and he's tiny and his face looks weird and he talks funny and he's dumb, but I guess he's okay.” Alula blurted out in a rush, shyly rubbing her forelegs together. Then she took a deep breath and charged out onto the surface of the lake in a rush, her eyes squeezed shut. It wasn’t until after the first couple of steps that she realized that she had done it! She was walking on the water! “So awesome!” Back on the shore, Dinky watched them both go across then paced nervously for a minute. “Right... ponies I love, an’ I’ll get it...” She eyed the water uncertainly. Seeing Dinky hesitating, Alula shouted to her. “C’mon Dinky! You can do it! ‘Cause you’re the nicest, coolest filly I know!” “Yeah!” Pipsqueak yelled in agreement. Dinky took a hesitant step forward, then another one. Seeing Pip and Alula on the other side helped her lock on, and she started thinking about the rest of the ponies she cared for: “Um, Pip and Lula, are my two best friends--even if they get grumbly with each other a lot. 'lula's rilly nice. She stands up for Pip when Diamond Tiara makes funna him for her accent, or me for not havin' a daddy. And Pip’s really nice for a cootie colt and, well, I toldja how he’s super nice.” She smiled shyly at her friends on the water. “Uh, then there’s my Gramma and Grampa, they’re always, always rilly happy to see me! I’ve got a bossy, cool big sister Sparky, the best Mommy anypony in the world could ask for … and my super-cool godmom, Rainbow Dash!” She paused, before shakily sticking out a hoof. “Rainbow Dash’s gonna see us ... an’ I wanna go see her, so I gotta get across.” She murmured to herself, her hoof stretching out to firmly step on the water. She let out her breath. She did it! “Yay! Great job, Dinky!” Alula cheered, glomping her once she drew near. Zecora chuckled. “Congratulations all around, but come, we are not yet safe and sound.” She led them across the water, her hoofsteps confident and easy. Dinky looked down at the water, trying to peer down into the depths. “Whooooa ... Sparky’ll never believe this!” “I wonder what’s down there?” Pip wondered, squinting as he tried to get a better look. Knowing that it would be better for all concerned if they didn’t know or think about just what was lying beneath them, Zecora cleared her throat. “Come, the lake is wide. We still have far to go to get to the other side. But to pass the time, perhaps you three would care to join me in my rhyme?” “Whatcha mean?” Dinky asked. Zecora smiled. “When all is said and done...” she gently started to sing. “Just follow the day ... follow the day and reach for the sun!” She held her staff up high, its end glowing brightly, like a miniature sun leading them forwards through the dark. “Just follow the seasons and find the time. I’ll be with you in your time of need and you’ll be there for mine! Reach for the bright side! Believe in yourself and never hide! Just follow the day...” Pip, Dinky and Alula felt their spirits rising, broad smiles stretching across their faces. Their bright voices rang out together with Zecora’s as they walked across the wide expanses of the lake. “Just follow the day ... follow the day and reach for the sun!” & & &