//------------------------------// // 21: Boos and baths // Story: My Little Fortress: Dawnpick // by Paaaad //------------------------------// Arbalest not have luck with catapult. No beast kill. Arbalest head back up to food place. If Boo were here, Arbalest kill beast. Arbalest unhappy. Need Boo. No Boo. Then everypony think Arbalest crazy. Nopony like Arbalest. Arbalest sad. Wish Boo here. Then Arbalest be happy. Arbalest get food then sit down. Arbalest still sad. Stiletto was enjoying a fine meal after a great workout and then she saw a lonely looking blue flügellos. She turned to Glyph. "Do you know that one? He looks... Lost? No, that is not right. Come with me Glyph." With that she turned toward Arbalest and trotted to his table bringing Glyph with her "Hello, I am Stiletto, may I join you?" New pony. New pony to say Arbalest not right. New pony to laugh at Boo. Wait. Pony not laugh at Boo. Boo not here. "Arbalest okay." Arbalest just want Boo back. Arbalest suffer leak from eyes. "So your name's Arblest?" Said Glyph, "Are you sure you're okay? You look sad..." Ponies come to laugh. Arbalest no like laugh at. Arbalest pick up food and move. Arbalest like by self. Boo. Need Boo. Just need Boo, then everything is okay. Stiletto attempted to talk to the retreating flügellos "You are crying. Can I ask why?....." Stiletto looks at Glyph with confusion it her eyes Ponies LAUGH at ARBALEST! ARBALEST NOT TOLERATE SUCH DISRESPECT! PLOT-KICKING FOR GOODNESS! ARBALEST TURN TO PONIES. ARBALEST WEAR BATTLE FACE. ALWAYS SCARE OTHER PONIES. "Arbalest not good enough for you, eh! Arbalest CRAZY, EH! ARBALEST SILLY WITH THE CATAPULT, EH! ARBALEST NO MORE ENDURE LAUGHTER!" Stilettos' voice became very cold "I am not laughing, and you are shouting." Then her eyes light up "Did you say catapult?" "U-umm we weren't gonna laugh at you..." Glyph said "We were just bein' nice... You looked lonely, and sad." Arbalest slump down. Arbalest need Boo. Boo tell Arbalest what to do. Arbalest need Boo. Too many ponies for Arbalest. "Oh no! Glyph, get the, the, the, Ärztin!" Stiletto looks around the dinning, all the while in a bit of a panic. Grapple finally looks up from his holy book to see what all the yelling is about. He sees Stiletto looking about the table in a panic. He recognizes Stiletto as one of the few ponies that listens to his preaching, but the two stallions are strangers to him. He calls out from the other side of the dining hall, "Stiletto, is everything all right over there? Are those two bothering you?" Flux returns from the kitchen with a fresh plate of delicious food, only to find a commotion starting to get going. "Um..." Glyph looks between Stiletto and Arblest, beginning to get really worried. "H-hey... come on, calm down... there's no need to panic, or to get sad." Arbalest failure. Need Boo. Boo make right. Arbalest need Boo. Boo make Arbalest right. 'beruhige dich, Stiletto,beruhige dich' She takes a deep breath and moves into a stance of military attention "Thank you Glyph, I am calm now. No one is bothering me Grapple, they are Freunde, but this flügellos looks.. not well?" Stiletto indicates to Arbalest with her hoof. Jaxler walked into the meeting room with a barrel of booze and some food. He then noticed that his two least favorite ponies in the fort were in the same building. Jaxler walked over to his favorite seat and sat down. He started to eat and hoped that Grapple would hold off on preaching til he blacked out from alcohol poisoning. Jaxler then took note of Arbalest crying "Hay! Arbalest, why ya so sad?" Ponies gather round. Arbalest need Boo. Where Boo? Boo tell Arbalest what do. "Need Boo." "Boo?" Stiletto leans down to whisper into Glyph's ear "What is Boo?" "Probably more who is Boo" He whispers back, before turning back to Arbalest. "Well, maybe we can help you find Boo? I'd be happy to help if I can, and I'm sure Stiletto would be as well." Flux cautiously approachs the group of ponies. "Uh, Boo? Who's Boo?" Arbalest wonder at ponies' ignorance. Not knowing Boo? "Boo miniature giant space hamster. Faithful companion of Arbalest. Boo gone though." Jaxler was completely shocked by Arbalest. "what the hell is a space hamster?" 'Miniature...what?' "Um, where did you last see him?" Asked Flux. Where did Arbalest last see Boo? Silly pony. "Last saw here. Space hamster hamster from space, silly." "So, we help you find him, yes or maybe?" 'Miniatur-Riese Raum Hamster?' "But how? Boo gone!" Said Arbalest. "...Gone where?" Flux asked. Silly pony! "GONE. Not gone where, gone!" Arbalest exclaimed. "What does GONE mean?" Jaxler asked "Is he dead or something?" "Gone! Poof!" Replied Arbalest "Disappeared!" Stiletto takes a step back. You could almost hear the wheels turning in her head "Flux, could you come with me? It will not take to much time." "Then we just have to figure out what happened!" Glyph said "I'm sure with us all looking we can, we just have to try." "Um, alright Stiletto." Flux follows Stiletto, still a bit confused at what Arbalest was talking about. "Arbalest, " Asked Jaxler, "When did this happen and do you think anypony took him"? Stiletto took Flux outside and then to the stores area. "We need to make a cage trap. You know how yes and please?" "Arbalest not know. Arbalest not know much without Boo." Flux's eyes brighten as he finally finds himself back in his comfort zone. "Oh! Um, yes? I think we have the parts here to set one up. I think there's a cage around here somewhere,too..." Smiling, he begins to gather the components to make the trap. "We need to catch a Boo. Then the sad flügellos get his friend back." Stiletto tries to help Flux haul things to where he needs them. "Arbalest, what the hell does this "space hamster" look like and how big is he. Also do you think there is any possibility we can find him?" Jaxler sighed as he realized he might spend the afternoon looking for a space hamster. Flux pauses in the middle of gathering parts. "...Where should we set this up to try to catch a, uh, Boo?" Stiletto puts a hoof under her chin "Where does the flügellos... spend time?" Mortar closes his diary and looks up from the table. Those other ponies had been making quite the distracting commotion for quite awhile now. He took a quick sip of his wine and headed over to Jaxler and Arbalest. Leaving his designs and diagrams alone at the table. "Hrm, what seems to be wrong here? You drew me away from my studies and designs....My interest is, piqued." Flux tilts his head and tap his chin with a hoof, thinking for a moment. "I think he's the one who set up the catapult? Maybe over there?" "Oh? Hello there Mortar. Arbalest lost his pet... space hamster named Boo and I'm trying to help." Jaxler knew how insane that sounded and hoped Mortar didn't assume he was just another brain dead alcoholic. "He made a catapult?! Oh I want to see!" Stiletto shakes her head and rustles her wings to regain her composure. "I mean, yes, near but not so close he falls in." Flux smiles at Stiletto's excitement, then start to lead the way to the catapult. "Oh space hamster? I thought I saw one of those by my workshop the other day. He said he had to return home, something about his family in danger." He gave a slight wink at Jaxler, hoping he'd catch on. "Told me to tell his friends goodbye, and that he'll return soon. I didn't catch his name, so I did not know how to find his friends." Mortar, hoping to defuse the situation quickly, looked at Jaxler expectedly. Boo would tell Arbalest. But maybe Boo too busy. Boo return soon? Arbalest wait. Arbalest need Boo, but Arbalest wait. "Arbalest wait right here till Boo back." Jaxler looked over to Mortar in disgust and said hesitantly "Ya Arbalest, that might be smart. Also if you ever need help with anything you can trust me to be honest". Jaxler didn't like that Mortar lied to a grown stallion like Arbalest. It made him feel nasty. Stiletto follows Flux carrying as much as she can while trying not to skip. "I am very... aufgeregt." As the two of them come round the wall to the catapult, Stilettos' eyes go wide and she stares in reverence at the beautiful machine "Vervollkommnen." Arbalest a bit happy now...Wait. Maybe wrong space hamster? "Was space hamster giant space hamster, or just space hamster?" Flux can't help but chuckle as Stiletto stares at the catapult. "Ya, he did a good job on that, didn't he?" "Arbalest, size maters and seeing as I told him it was just a normal space hamster he might still be out there. Mortar would you like to tell us rather or not he was giant?" Mortar gives a slight glare at Jaxler, obviously the the azure pony was quite unhinged, perhaps too many blows to the head with his siege equipment, the whole idea of trying to find the space hamster was absurd, there is no such thing. So how could a little white lie that could sooth the stallion rather than upset him further be disgraceful. "It was a giant space hamster, about half my height. I hope it was Boo, but I am uncertain, having not gotten his name. Having been irritated past the point of non-intervention by the seemingly ceaseless ruckus, a distinctly angry voice sounds from a nearby table: "Excuse me, Stony, or whoever you are, I hope you're not making fun of that poor unicorn, hm?" She shoots the purple irritant a venomous glare, accentuating her point. Arbalest was a bit weird, but he definitely had his heart in the right place. Not the kind of pony she wanted to see upset because some purple pipsqueak thought he was funny. "Falcata please calm down. Arbalest filed a complaint with the me about a missing pet and as a member of guard and I need to listen and help as best I can. Also MORTAR isn't doing much wrong. In fact he's trying to help." Jaxler then gave Mortar a soul piercing gaze with his blood red eyes and said "Are you SURE it was a giant space hamster..." Jaxler wasn't amused that Mortar ignored his hint. Not...not Boo...Boo not coming back... "Not...not Boo..." Leaking from eyes. "Falcata is it? Yes I remember, spent days reworking my calculations of the proper stone pieces for our fortifications after you were injured....don't think I ate anything after that. He turned and looked her straight in the eye, a warrior's gaze. If she had ever watched him work during her patrols she'd realize that he has more skill with a hammer than just to chip rock with. "Arbalest is a good friend and valued member of our community. I spent countless hours with him in the past experimenting with proper weight and shape of his catapult munitions. I would never make fun of him, I merely want to ease his concern about his friend Boo. Whom we WILL find." Mortar gives an angry snort, the tip of his horn glowing a light amber color. "So do not suggest otherwise!" Stiletto took a long look at that amazing weapon of motion and mechanics. "Yes, Yes he did, but work. Where should we do this?" "Dude were here for you" Jaxler knew that if Boo was mealy a figment of Arbalest's imagination then he had no right to misinform him. He decided to offer what support he could for the poor unicorn. "I have a barrel of booze over there. We can all share, a bit of binge drinking usually helps me when I'm feeling down. and if you'd rather look for him then I'm fine with that too." "Um..." Flux looks around for a good spot to set up the trap, needing a place fairly flat and preferably with decent-length grass. Finding a spot not too far from the catapult, he motions for Stiletto. "Right here? We should be able to set up the pop-up cage here, I think." Falcata snorts, not really convinced that Jaxler and Mortar are going about this correctly. "I'm just saying, if you're going to lead him to beli-" At the sight of Arbalest beginning to tear up, she moves to get up, muttering under her breath. "Oh gods above..." Stiletto moves all of the equipment to the spot Flux indicated "How much time do you need?" "It shouldn't take too long, especially with you helping, Stiletto. We just need to anchor the base, dig a few small holes for the springs and drive the stakes to keep the sides down until it gets tripped." "Hey...Arbalest. Don't worry buddy, we'll find him." Mortar immediately steps down from confronting Falcata and moves over to the azure pony. A look of concern in his eyes. "Boo is alright, I'm certain of it. Those other two ponies wandered off with a gleam of motivation in their eyes, I know they're working hard right now to find Boo." With the power of her magic Stiletto begins to dig the small holes, smiling the whole time. "You tell me everything you want, and I will do it." With her help, we get the cage set up in a matter of minutes. Flux takes a few steps back to admire our work. "Looks good, Stiletto! If Boo is around, I'm sure we'll catch him with this!" "Want Boo." Moaned Arbalest A rather muddy Stiletto folds her wing over Flux withers. "Should we hide somewhere?" Stiletto nods and leads Flux to the other side of the catapult and then whispers into his ear. "We need to be quite,yes?" *Click! Boing! Clank!* "We'll find him Arbalest. I promise it." Jaxler grinned and added "If something is worth crying over it's worth fighting for." Flux blushs even harder as she whispers into his ear, then almost jumps out of his coat when he hears the trap go off. "AGH! Oh, the trap! Um, l-lets go see what we got?" 'Knock it off, Flux! She's just being friendly, so stop acting like she's gonna bite your head off!' He carefully peeks out from around the catapult, seeing that we seem to have caught a rabbit. Falcata pauses halfway across the hall, dumbstruck. Oh bollocks, that had torn it. There was no going back now, not now Captain Stupid McSociallyInept had gone and said something like that to the impressionable blue stallion. She felt an overwhelming urge to incapacitate the moron and drag him back to his scribblings, but forced herself not to. That wouldn't help anypony, really. For lack of anything better to do, given the delicate situation, she does her best to catch Mortar's eye, performing the internationally recognised sign-language gesture for "stop-whatever-in-the-nine-hells-it-is-you're-doing". This proved ineffective, Jaxler blithely adding his own comment to panic her even further. OK, that was it. Abandon ship - she was out. Somepony was going to be picking up pieces for a long time if that unicorn ever learned the truth about giant space hamsters, and she wasn't going to be one of them. Fighting hard to project a calm demeanour, she surreptitiously turns right around and heads back to her table, fuming inside. She knew why they were doing it, but she couldn't see it ending well for anypony, least of all the naive blue unicorn. Stiletto looks at the rabbit then back to Flux "Is that a boo? It looks like a.. Häschen." "Um, I think it's a rabbit, but I don't actually know what space hamsters look like," He replied, "Should we take it back and ask?" Stiletto was fairly sure a miniture-giant would be smaller "No, too big. We must try again. Help me reset it please?" 'Well, at least she knows what we're looking for.' I nod and help her to reset the trap, again hiding behind the catapult when finished. Jaxler noticed that Faclata was mad. He walked over to her and said "I know your disappointed with me and Mortar, but you must know there are some ponies in this world that can not be helped." Mortar gave Arbalest a light pat and smile. "I'll bring some of those whistling stones for you to fling tomorrow, perhaps the noise will call Boo out." He made his way back to his table, where his designs began to roll themselves up before being packed into his satchel. He then walked over to Falcata's table and looked at her sternly. "Perhaps there is a Boo? I don't know. All I was trying to do is help, but obviously that is against some pony's ideals." *Click!Boing!Clack!* Stiletto looked over the catapult to see a squirrel the cage. They reset the trap. *Click!Boing!Clack!* Hedgehog. Reset the trap. *Click!Boing!Clack!* Badger. GAAAH GET IT OFF! reset the trap. *Click!Boing!Clack!* Humming bird. Stiletto and Flux exchange a flat look and reset the trap. *Click!Boing!Clack!* Horned Lizard. "This is not going well." Arbalest wait. Boo come for Arbalest. Falcata flicks her tail, unhappy. She makes sure to keep her voice low as she replies: "That's as may be, and I understand why you think that, but I worry that you're just making things worse. You have given him false hope, and set that poor soul on the first step on a long road to disappointment." As she finishes, a certain mauve clampet arrives and blathers some sort of scathing remark. Oh dear. "Listen you here," she hisses, incensed by the unicorn's audacity. "I have nothing, nothing against you or anypony else helping that unicorn out; what I do take issue with is ponies like you treating him like he's some kind of daydreaming colt! That pony needs help, somepony like Panacea to sit and talk with, not baseless reassurances from clueless do-gooders!" By now the irate pegasus is kicking up clouds of dust with her wings, subconsciously flapping to match her tumultuous anger. Jaxler took in Falcata's response but too pissed after hearing Mortar's remark about his ideals. He looked up to Mortar and gave him another soul piercing gaze. "They aren't ideals... The god damned lessons I've had to learn the hard way.I have some advice for you 'those whom lie do so at the cost of there reality'. ALSO don't you ever imply that my "ideals" are a problem because they're what keep me from needing to change my DAMNED name and fleeing to a random outpost again." Flux resets the trap again, out of habit, and release the little lizard. "Maybe, uh, miniature giant space hamsters don't like catapults? Should we tell Arbalest we couldn't find Boo?" Stiletto hangs her head "Yes, we tell him we failed." She heads back to the dinning hall, absentmindedly swishing her tail. Mortar sighs and takes out a design from his satchel and just chose to ignore her angry outburst. It was a rough sketch of the wall that protected them from the caverns dangers. "Listen, it was already causing a scene by the time I approached. No he is not just a day dreaming colt. What branch of the military were you in back at the capital? I've seen many wonderful and dangerous things while I was enlisted in the MGMC, perhaps there is a Boo. A talking space hamster seems odd to you, yet have you faced a two headed humanoid made entirely out of bronze and thought that was perfectly natural? I'm more apt to believe him than if somepony were to tell me that a great darkness will evelope the sun in the future!" Mortar removes a piece of charcoal from his satchel and begins to return to his sketch. "Your armor stand for your barding that you requested should be ready by midday, by the way. It won't be perfect, without proper measurements of yourself I cannot ensure that'll seat perfectly, but I'm certain it'll do the job." Flux begins to follow Stiletto, then quickly decides it'd be better to walk next to her instead of behind. Muddy, frustrated, and disappointed, Stiletto enters the dinning hall with Flux at her side and empty hooves. She looks at Arbalest. *very softly*"Sorry." She then sits back down with Glyph. Equally muddy, Flux stops in front of Arbalest. "Um, sorry, Arbalest. We tried to find Boo, but I guess he's pretty tricky." He takes a seat next to Stiletto and gingerly set a hoof on her withers. "Well, um, at least we tried?" Glyph puts a hoof on Stiletto's back, not mining the mud. "Hey, you tried... maybe we can try again later? No reason to give up just cause the first plan failed. I'm sure we'll be able to find Boo eventually." Jaxler realized that Mortar was going to ignore any criticism he was given. he sat down and said "I feel bad for the damn guy. Arbalest really needs some help doesn't he?" "There's about as much chance of there being a Boo as there is that zealot," she indicates Grapple, seated at the far corner of the hall, "being right about his twin sister goddess nonsense. A clearly intelligent pony like yourself should know better than to string somepony along like that based on a weak justification that "they might exist". And," Falcata barrels on, barely even stopping to draw breath for fear of the wordy unicorn starting up another spiel, but interrupts herself, pricking her ears up and craning her neck as the unofficial extraterrestrial search party reenters the hall. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but she hoped they'd break it to him gently. "Hold on a sec," she murmurs, the two ponies beside her pushed down her mental priority list. Stiletto lifts herself up and wraps her long forelegs around Glyph and Flux. Pulling them in close and getting mud all over them. "Meine kleine Hengste. You are such good Freunde. I just want to sit here with you for a time." "Heh, I have more than just weak justification. I sing to the stone, Falcata. It sings back..." He looks down at the floor, lightly testing his hooves. "I hear the groaning it makes as those filthy abominations walk about it, not challenged. There are wonders in this world that we do not know exist, but they do." Mortar packs up his sketch again, turning from the table to head down into the mines, but turns and looks at her. "I believe in Boo. If Arbalest knows he exists, I trust him. And I"m sorry Jaxler," He turns and looks at the pony. "If your trust in me had been shaken." Mortar turns back to the entrance of the hall and makes his way to mine entrance. No Boo. Just need Boo. Then all good. Glyph blushs as Stiletto pulls me into the hug. "U-umm it's n-no problem..." He chuckles nervously a bit. "But now we're all m-muddy friends." Flux smiles slightly as Stiletto pulls him into the group hug, still feeling a bit awkward. 'See? Friendly, not going to bite.' Jaxler said to Falcata "Thank you for not believing Grappel's insanity". Jaxler got up and said "I'm heading out. I think I left my crossbow at the shooting range and Partisan probably wouldn't be happy if he found it there." Jaxler walked over to where he left his barrel of booze, picked up said barrel of booze and walked out the door. Stiletto hums softly for while just holding Glyph and Flux close to her. Then she starts to giggle. "You are right, we look like glückliche kleine Schweine, and we are covered in mud. We should have a bath." "Um 'wallowing pigs'?" asks Flux, "Ya, we did get a bit messy with the trap." Falcata rolls her eyes in exasperation as the purple unicorn leaves. A more patronising pony she'd yet to meet; talking to her about singing stones as if she were a little filly to be enchanted by fairy tales! Some ponies just had that rare knack of driving her up the wall, and this guy had it and plenty to spare besides. She nods an acknowledgement to Jaxler as he leaves, noting his apparently shared distaste for the preacher pony. Spouting religious drivel and evangelising all over the place was irritating enough, but the damned fool had to start trying to get embroiled in fights as well. Such immense stupidity was only going to get somepony hurt; most likely himself, if he kept charging unarmed into melees like that. He should at least wear armour, she thought to herself, reflecting grimly on her own experiences with unarmored combat. Nopony knew the importance of armour better than her, not in this village at least. Seeing that everything seems to have stabilised somewhat, she goes back to her drink, watching Stiletto and the two stallions fooling around with not-very-well-concealed amusement. That was a lot of mud; whoever was on the cleaning rota for the hall this week was going to burst a blood vessel tomorrow. "Wallohing, what is Wallohing? glückliche is a good feeling word." *She giggles again* "We have made this place all muddy too." *A bucket and a large pigtail cloth levitate out from under a near by table. The fills itself with water from a basin as the cloth dips its' self into the water. The cloth falls to the ground and starts to wipe up all the muddy hoof prints, when the prints are all cleaned up the pigtail cloth goes into the bucket and spins around until all the dirt is in the bucket, which floats outside to empty itself over the wall. Two more buckets then fill themselves and head for Glyph and Flux* "Watch out you two, it is bath time." "Oh, happy little pigs? Uh wallowing is just what pigs do in mud, I guess. I, uh, never farmed pigs." Flux barely notices the cleaning happening as I blather along. However, once the cloth heads his way, he realizes what's about to happen. "Wait, bath time? Here?!" He starts to struggle to get out of Stiletto's grasp, but to no avail as the cloth gets closer. "A-a bath... " stutters Glyph "H-here? B-but.." Stiletto smiles impishly "Oops." Very suddenly Stilettos' grip on the two 'trapped' stallions loosens dramatically "Oh, you're so schlüpfrig. I can not get a good hold." *Wink* Completely oblivious to Stiletto's smile, Flux manages to pop free and run towards the exit. Glyph squirms his way out of Stilettos grip, then notices her smile. He chuckles a little. "Well if you wanna clean me you have to catch me!" He laughs again and dash for the exit right behind Flux. With two buckets in toe Stiletto chased the two out of the dinning hall and in the opposite direction that Falcata went, the pigtale cloth wiping up behind them until they where out in the dirt again. "I am going get you meine kleine Hengste." Another giggle escaped her lips. She hadn't had this much fun in years. 'Crazy alicorn! She'z crazy!' In his blind panic, Flux fails to see the little pebble that would spell his doom at the hooves of the obvious madmare. His leg shoots out from under him as he places his weight on it, sending him into a tumble. Unharmed, though perhaps even more dirty than before, Flux lay there in a daze. Glyph runs along laughing, it had been a while since he had taken any time off of training to just have fun! As he runs, Glyph glance back at Stiletto, just as Flux takes his tumble. Quickly he hops over him turning around to make sure he was okay. "Hey Flux, you alright? You didn't hurt yourself did you?" *Splash!* a bucket empties its' contents onto Flux as Stiletto continues to barrel toward Glyph. Then Flux feels himself being gingerly picked up by two pigtail cloths. They wipe the mud from his main and tail then place him on Stilettos' back. "Glyph is fast, so I plan to go fast, hold on tightly meine Kleine." 'Madpony! Oh wait, it's over. That wasn't so bad.' "...Fast?" Flux quickly wraps as many limbs as he can around whatever he can get a grip on before Stiletto can bolt off. Glyph chuckles and run off again, enjoying the game. 'I may be no good with an axe, but speed I have in spades' "Come on and catch me then!" "Show me fast!" Stiletto galloped after Glyph, pushing her self harder to take full advantage of her longer legs. Magical force helped Flux stay snugly in place. Flux likes to think he reacted like any sane pony in this situation. "AAAAGGGHHHHH!!!" Glyph keeps running, but eventually Stiletto's longer legs begin to allow her to begin to close the distance. With a small grin he spins around and charge back, jumping to tackle her. Stilettos' eyes go wide as Glyph comes flying at her. She spreads her wings out to slow her down, and plants her back legs to brace her body as lifts up to try and catach Glyph as he hits her "Get ready Flux." *she whispers in the moments before impact* Flux somehow finds a way to tighten my grip and give Stiletto an eloquent reply. "AAAAHHHHHH!!!" Glyph slams into Stiletto, wrapping his forehooves around her, and smiling like a manac. 'It's been way too long. I feel like a little colt again!' Stilettos' heart can be heard beating loudly by both Flux and Glyph, but it is almost drowned out by her laughing. "You two make me feel wunderschön." Stiletto squeezes Glyph close, smiles, closes her eyes and looks up *SPLASH!* at the torrent of water that just pored over the three of them. Moments later the pigtail cloths are there to get the last of the mud. "AAAHH-GLUB!" The water shocks Flux out of my panic, and the cloths aren't too bad, actually. Cautiously, he starts to loosen his death-grip on Stiletto. "Um, that was... the most exciting bath ever." Glyph keeps laughing, reaching a hoof up to get his mane out of his eyes. "That was the most fun I've had in years! We should do stuff like this more often!" He looks up at Stiletto, then notices that he's still holding her, making him blush a bit. "G-guess I can't tackle you huh." "You need to go for the smaller parts of me, if you push my center I can just bend my back legs." Stiletto pulls her wings in slowly and she helps Flux down with magic. "You both hold on very well though." Flux tenses up a bit as Stiletto helps him down, then relaxes as his hooves hit the ground and give a small chuckle. "Ya, raw adrenaline really helps with a grip." Glyph blushs a bit more as he lets Stiletto go, backing off a step. "I see... maybe you could give me some more tips later. I think I have defenitly enjoyed today... defenitly. It was fun, and I got some new friends!" Stiletto taps them both on the forehead with her horn "Tonight was fun. I have not had such fun in so long. Now it is cold meine Freunde, we should go home." -Granite's Journal- So my mom wants me to learn how to right now... wait it's "write" right? Stupid grammar. A B C D SCREW THIS! Anyway some stupid thief tried to snatch me away from Dawnpick, but the militia came to save me in time. I so could have taken that thief out though, one little buck to the noggin and he would be dead! Speaking of dead, that crazy Captain chopped that dude's HEAD OFF!!! RIGHT BEFORE MY LITTLE PONY EYES!!! I should probably see Panacea for some therapy or something. Is she therapist? Wait, there should be an "a" in that sentence... Whatever, I'm probably going to walk over to the dining hall for some food... I don't have a drinking problem... (Authors Note: Mortar's Diary:) 3rd Slate, 252 I finally found my old diary. Haven't looked at this since my father died while serving in the Mason Guild's Marine Core on the 15th of Felcite, 202. Such a gruesome day will forever be burned into my memory. Lord Gravel of Gilded Circles will forever lie in the hall of champions in the necropolis of CoupleDye. My mother, Brickette, has never produced the same beautiful craftsponyship of stone mastery ever since. But onto more joyous things, it turns out that the new colony; Dawnpick, had survived the winter. The Liaison mentioned they vastly needed new ponies to help strengthen the colony, and the Mason's Guild beckoned to the call. Having learned how to Sing to Stone shortly after my own stint in the MGMC, eight years after my father's death, and craving the adventure outside the walls of CoupleDye I agreed to lead a small troop of ponies to this new colony. It turns out the reception of this news was less than welcome, and I only found two fellow masons, two carpenters and potash makers, and one woodcutter who was willing to come along. We set off tomorrow. 5th Slate, 252 I officially hate carpenters, too much wood talk; I can't even hear the stone sing to me as we travel. 2nd Hematite, 252 Attack by diamond dogs, I was hit hard and winded; it will definitely take me awhile to make the journey to Dawnpick, but the others are willing to bear with me. 20th Hematite, 252 Still sore, but group is moving at a good pace; found some discarded equipment today. Should replace the few tools that were taken during the diamond dog attack. 15th Galena, 252. Summer is starting to wain and I worry that we will not reach Dawnpick before winter. Ran out of pink lemon wine today, that was my favorite! 5th Sandstone, 252. Seems we've nearly made it at last, Dawnpick is in the distance, we'll camp one last time, then great our new friends later. I hope they have some pink lemon wine... 7th Sandstone, 252. Excellent, off to a busy start, but these miners....they harm the stone too much with their brash diggings! They obviously have never heard of the gift to sing to the stone; showing the delicate fines and stress points of even the most solid of marble to make the perfect strike for the most wonderful piece to work with! I have sent a memo to Virtue, this settlement's leader about this reckless destruction. 16th Timber, 252. A tragic scene happened today. A young fisher pony, promptly named Babbling Brook; fell to a honey badger thief today. Though I've barely been here; I felt partly to blame. If my injury hadn't slowed me down so much in getting here, we might have been able to assist in developing fortifications, what we of the Mason's Guild are well known for. I... am uncertain if can be of much use here after all.... 11th Sandstone, 253. I have written for...almost a year. Been sinking every waking moment into my work, but it seems most of the preliminary defenses are set up now. So many new ponies that Virtue asked me and the founding mason to concentrate most of our efforts on dormitory and apartment building for the time being. Since we haven't had many bad incidents involving security, I figured it was a chance to change things up a bit...perhaps a few statues would be a good idea... 18th Timber, 253. Spoke too soon, a poor little foal nearly was taken away today by honey badger pony thieves. I must be more diligent in my work! 7th Sandstone, 254. I always seem to remember to start writing during Sandstone; just so happens I stopped in to speak to Virtue today. I know this colony is mostly meant to feed the mineral demands of our kingdom, but the majority of all the marble was denied to me, despite it's beautiful characteristics. I could craft such wonderful statues, doors, and coffins from marble; but all I'm allowed to work with is shale and gabbro; which has nearly run dry. Confound these miner ponies, they are absolutely terrible at their jobs, ruining perfect sections of stone that allow me and my fellow mason ponies to cut beautiful blocks for building from. No, half of it is smashed up, only good for mortar and brick laying; which isn't sturdy at all! 1st Felsite, 255. Been studying our defenses, not many ponies, especially our militia commander or our leader, remember that it was we ponies of the Mason's Guild who built the great defenses of Coupledye. I had been studying the moat for ages, and realized one fatal flaw; the honey badgers can easily swim past it! Not only that, it also impedes our settlement's expansion. Virtue had been gazing at the large dirt mound to the north of the settlement for the past few days, I believe she thinks it'll fix our problem if it was removed. It'll at least give our miners some work; those creatures down in the deep of the earth have halted deeper mining projects. If only there were some way to destroy some of those creatures... 17th Felsite, 255. By the gods another pony had been slain! Seemed a badger pony decapitated poor Barley outside his very home! This is unsettling...the defenses aren't working....I must help save these poor ponies from death! 13th Limestone, 255. Been working on designs for the problems with the beasts in the caverns. The stone....it cries in pain at their foul stench. I sing to sooth it constantly, but to no avail. Will have to speak to Virtue on these matters, and finally assert myself in the proper construction of defenses for this settlement.