"Hey Floran, do you have a name?" Lyra inquired as the pair walked around the cave. The Floran sat down on a rock and sighed. "Tired?"
"Floran isssssss very tired. Floran hassssss not slept for daysssssss..." The Floran stretched her arms and lent back. "Sssssssssmall horse wantsssss to know Floran'ssssssss name?" Lyra nodded happily and sat down next to her. "Floran hassssss a name, a name that bird lady used to call Floran."
"Oh... Did you not have a name before that?" Lyra inquired, giving the Floran a sympathetic look. "Sorry, I don't really know how Floran society works."
"Floran'ssssssss name, given to Floran by bird lady hasssssss alwaysssssss been Fern." Fern said sternly. "However, Floran never really usesssssss it.
"Really? But Fern is such a nice name." Lyra stated. Fern sighed and studied the walls of the cave. "Come on Fern lighten up."
"Floran ssssseessssss iron in cave." Fern stated, pointing at a dark rock. Pulling out the matter manipulator Fern aimed the device at the rocks and pulled a small trigger, a blue beam shot out the device and started to cause the rocks to shake until they fell down in perfect squares. Fern picked through the rubble, pulling out chunks of iron. "Floran can make thingsssssss with thissssss."
"Come on Fern, why don't you like your name?" Lyra inquired as Fern continued to trawl through the rubble.
"Floran can make many thingssssssss with thisssssss..." Fern said, ignoring Lyra completely. "Maybe sssssmall horse could help Floran move iron?"
"Small horse will not help silly Floran until silly Floran tells small horse why silly Floran does not like her name!" Lyra hastily said, taking a large breath after finishing. "Phew, that was a mouthful."
"Sssssssss..." Fern hissed. "Sssssssmall horse issssssss foolish, ssssssssmall horse challengessssssss Floran." Fern sternly said before drawing her sword and pointing it at Lyra, who had gotten up and slowly started to walk backwards.
"W-Wait! Fern stop! Just think about what you are doing!" Lyra shouted, trying to reason with Fern. However Fern ignored her and prepared to strike. "Fern!" Lyra was sharply interrupted when Fern attempted to strike her. "What are you doing!?" Lyra shouted, only for Fern to attempt a second strike. Lyra sharply turned and ran deeper into the cave, Fern promptly chased, waving her sword as she ran.
A few minutes of chasing lead the pair deep into the cave, evident signs that they were running into diamond dog territory were ignored in the flurry. Lyra entered a large chamber that split into several small tunnels that lead away. Lyra hid in the shadows until Fern charged into the room. The Floran had barely broken a sweat. "Come out ssssssssmall horse, Floran only want to play..." Fern evilly said as she scanned the room. Lyra held her breath as Fern moved silently through the room. Fern stopped moving when she walked past where Lyra was hiding, a shallow growling could be heard in the chamber.
Lyra quickly burst out of her hiding place, however Fern was fixated on one of the tunnels. "Fern! We need to get moving, we shouldn't be this deep. Its dangerous here!" Lyra shouted noticing the obvious signs that they were in diamond dog territory, however Fern remained fixated on the tunnel she was staring down.
"Ssssssss... Sssssssomething isssssss coming." Fern stated. "Ssssssomething Floran can ssssstab." Slowly, the growling got louder. Fern readied her sword and Lyra slowly backed up towards the exit, just as Lyra reached the exit she saw what appeared to be one of the diamond dogs lackeys wondering in. It had a feral look in it's eye and was incredibly thin.
"Fern, we need to go! That thing... Its feral." Lyra shouted to Fern, however the Floran remained in place, holding its ground.
"Sssssss!" Fern hissed as she started to circle the room while remaining a few steps away from the feral breast. The beast growled as it eyed up Fern, clearly debating on whether it would be worth risking its life for a quick snack.
"Fern! We need to leave, there will be more if we don't hurry!" Lyra shouted, causing the feral diamond dog to change its attention to her. "No, wait! Not me!" Lyra panicked as the beast started slowly moving towards her. The diamond dog jumped at Lyra who had little time to do anything except shut her eyes and wait for the beast to attack.
Lyra creaked open one eye, it had felt like an hour had passed since she shut them. "Fern?" Lyra scanned the room, Fern was stood on the diamond dog which had a large sword wedged in its head. "How did you move so fast?"
"Ancient Floran secret." Fern chuckled. "Isssss sssssssmall horse alright?" Fern removed her sword from dead dog and slowly moved towards Lyra. "Ssssssssmall horse alright?"
"Y-Yeah..." Lyra shakily said. "I am alright now, thanks for that." Lyra sat down and stared at the dead dog. "I didn't know things were bad down here... They don't normally attack ponies..." Lyra sighed and sank down to the floor. "I... I saw my life..."
"Floran hassssss sssssseen Floran'ssssssssss life many timesssssss. Floran tired of ssssssssee life..." Fern chuckled and joined Lyra on the ground. "Maybe Floran and sssssssmall horse sssssssshould go back, Floran hasssss enough sssssstuff to make sssssssssomething..."
"Yes, I think it might be a good idea to head back up... Do you remember the way back up? I didn't have enough time to remember it while I was running away from you. Speaking of which why did you do that?"
"It wasssssss... Floran joke!" Fern sharply said. "Hahaha... Very funny Floran joke no?" Fern nervously chuckled.
"Okay..." Lyra slowly said with a uncertain nod. "Lets just get back, we can talk about it later." Lyra got up and examined the room. "Which tunnel did we come in on?" Lyra asked.
"That one..." Fern stated, pointing towards a large tunnel in the room. "letssssss go." Fern got up and joined Lyra as the pair started their journey out of the cave system.