Chapter 69: Fire Down Under
Rumble awoke to a bright light, a light he at first took to be the sun. Opening his eyelids a small slit, the colt gave his eyes time to adjust to the glare. When the scene came into focus, however, he found it to not be the sun, but a small flame that flickered not far from where he lay his head.
Realizing the light source for what it was, Rumble jumped up with a yelp that echoed through the cave. It was not long after that this call of alarm awoke Thunderlane.
With one look down the tunnel the stallion slammed his eyes shut. "Ugh, somepony turn off the sun."
Hearing his brother's words, Rumble ran towards where he had heard his voice, taking care to not trip over anything unseen in the darkness. After reaching Thunderlane, he began to shake him into reality. "Lane, get up!"
Thunderlane swatted at his brother. "Rumble, not now. Too tired."
"Lane, get up. There's a fire."
Thunderlane smacked his lips, his mind still hazy from sleep. "That's nice. Wake me when breakfast...is..." Thunderlane lifted his head off the cold floor of the cave to look at Rumble. "What about a fire?"
Rumble moved a few inches to the side to give the groggy stallion a better view. At first Thunderlane flinched at the brightness the flame gave off. But after watching it for a second his mind clicked. "What? How did you manage to start that?"
"I didn't," Rumble rebuked. "It was just sitting there when I woke up."
Thunderlane thought little of it as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Letting out a yawn, he asked, "What time is it?"
"I don't know, and I don't know how long we've been here so don't ask."
The pair looked to the mouth of the cave. They could see there was sunlight pouring through, but not much.
Thunderlane turned back to look at the flame. If the sun were going down then they would need some source of light. But it seemed the fire would not help be of any assistance. "Hey, what happened to the fire?"
"What do you mean?" Rumble began to ask, but when he looked back himself he saw nothing but blackness. "Where'd it go?"
"You don't know?"
"No. I mean, it was just there. We couldn't have both imagined that... Right...?"
"I... I don't know, Rumble. Whatever it was it's gone, and we should be going while there's still-" Thunderlane cut himself off, crying out over the strange, cold sensation that crawled over his fore legs. He jumped up. "What was that?!"
"What was what?"
"I felt something crawling on me. I don't know wh-" Thunderlane let out a second cry when the cold thing again moved about, this time around his rear legs.
Without thinking, Thunderlane made a mad dash for the cave entrance, and Rumble was as quick to follow.
When they reached the point where the cave opened out to the swamp, they both looked back, not knowing what to find. But in the end it was the same as with the fire before: There was nothing but darkness.
They both took time to refill their lungs before Thunderlane asked, "Did you see what it was?"
"No, I couldn't see anything. What did it feel like?"
"I don't know. It felt slimy and cold. And I mean ice cold."
"Well, I don't see anything. Whatever it was it-" But Rumble didn't get finish his sentence.
From the edge of the cave, a small, black creature with bright yellow spots poked out it head. It didn't venture out any further than that as it looked the two grey pegasi over.
Thunderlane and Rumble said nothing for a few seconds, but the more Thunderlane stared at the creature he remembered where he'd seen it last. He furrowed his brow. "You again?" The salamander turned to Thunderlane as if understanding what he had said. "What the hay are you doing, crawling around me?"
"Lane, what's are you getting on to it for?"
Thunderlane pointed an accusatory hoof at the amphibian. "This stupid lizard was crawling on me when we came in. What do you want?" The salamander took a few steps towards the slate grey stallion. Thunderlane knocked it back into the shadows. "Get, you creepy-crawly."
After a few seconds, the salamander came back out of the cave. Angered by the thing's lack of sense, Thunderlane snatched it up and threw it inside. It didn't come back the second time. Thunderlane kicked a clod of dirt into the cave, hoping to bury the pesky amphibian. "Good riddance," he snarled. When he looked over to his brother he was met with a furrowed brow on the colt's face. "What?"
"You didn't have to do that. It was just being curious."
"Well it was bugging me."
"You would know what that's like," Rumble said under his breath.
"What was that?!"
"Nothing," Rumble shot back. "What are we gonna do now?"
"For starters, I thought we could try and head back out. Try and find something to drink," Thunderlane said, rolling his tongue around the inside of his mouth to produce a small drop of saliva.
"You can say that again, Lane. I feel like I licked the inside of a salt shaker."
"Don't- Don't say that. Not helpful," Thunderlane scolded.
"I was just saying what I thought."
"Keep it to yourself. Unless it's about finding fresh water don't say a word." He knelt down. "Now hop on, while there's still some sun."
Rumble was reluctant to go with his brother, but if he allowed him to leave now he couldn't tell if or when he would return. So he hopped on and hunkered down for the trip back to the flat, open land on the other side.
With Rumble on board, Thunderlane stepped down into the soup of the bog, cringing at the back of his mind as he felt the water come up to his knees and hocks. He thought back to before, picturing the sunken land bridge that went straight from the cave to the shore across the way. He was so sure of this that he wasn't able to stop himself when he felt his fore hoof step down onto nothing. He sent himself and Rumble falling forward into the bog.
Thunderlane pulled himself back into the cave with ease, but Rumble wasn't as capable. He had trouble keeping his head above the water.
Thunderlane saw this, but did nothing except call out to the struggling colt, "Rumble, kick your legs!"
Rumble was kicking his legs, his wings, as well. But he continued to sink lower into the bog. He tried to call out to his brother, but each time his mouth filled with the foul tasting water. He didn't know what Thunderlane was waiting for. He had to see him struggling to keep himself up, there wasn't be anything that kept him from seeing that.
Rumble kept kicking. He continued to kick at the water while Thunderlane shouted out to him from the cave's shoreline. He did this until his strength gave out, and he sank below the surface, feeling helpless to what was to come next. With the last of his air used up, his lungs burned like fire. When his young body couldn’t take the pain any longer he slipped into unconsciousness. With the colt's mind gone to other places, the bog gave no second thought as it filled his lungs with its cold, marshy water.
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Ponyville Orphanage director Stoney Potts had always loved foals, but that had been before she had been made the primary care provider for the many unwanted foals of the small earth pony hamlet. The mare, who was an earth pony the color of a pot belly stove and had a cutie mark to match, loved the foals, but when it came down to it she wished she would have taken a position in the Equestrian Guard, back when she had the physique.
Instead she felt her place to be more along the lines of caring for foals who hadn't a place call home. At the time she had wanted so much to make a difference in the lives of all the little orphaned ponies that she couldn't say 'no'. And now every day when she heard shouting outside her office window she prayed to Celestia it was from a stampede coming to bulldoze the town.
But one look through the window blinds confirmed it, Dolph and Bern were at it again. She would have thought their punishment from that morning would be enough to make them want to call in early, but it was plain there would be no such luck. With nopony else working with her she would have to berat them all on her own, not that it did any good. If only there were somepony to help her she would hire them on the spot.
With a heavy sigh, the aged, heavyset mare waddled out of her second story office and down the stairs.
As she shuffled her way down the foyer steps, she spotted Scootaloo pass her by, a cardboard tube held in her mouth. She thought nothing of it as she cleared the last few steps and went out the front door.
She was about to shout out to the two colts to stop, but when she got there she could see their attention was not on their usual victim, the five year old Clack Tap. It was instead on a pair of foals she knew were not a part of her orphanage.
One was a dull brown color, with a look of hellfire in his eyes as he fought against Bern; the other a light almond, who for the moment was able to wiggle her way out from under Dolph. There was a third foal. She was the same color as the second. She sat to the side with her eyes covered.
Stoney knew she had to do something; if the two foals were hurt the blame would be put onto her first, and the two ruffians, who more often than not had caused the problem, later. But what could she do at 52?
Before she could waddle her way into the fray, she stood witness as both Dolph and Bern were pulled off the foals, then drug off by their ears to where a captivating silver unicorn stood over them.
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Rocksalt knew they would lose before they could get started, but it didn't matter to him so long as he and Pecan got the two teenage colts away from the foal they were busy pounding into the dirt.
And it had worked.
But now came the part he knew would follow: The part where the big colts would turn the tables on them and force them to take the punishment in place of the foal. They had gone up against the colts for a full minute, but it had been a good full minute. Rocksalt felt that despite how beaten and bruised he was about to become, he could take solace in that the foal would not suffer any further, if only for the rest of the day.
When the teenage colts pinned both Rocksalt and Pecan to the ground the teenage colts let it out that he would be taking her beating. They weren't going to hit a pretty girl, regardless of what she had done to one of their flanks. Instead, she would have the pleasure of watching as they beat the living shit out of him.
As the first colt, a light iron grey earth pony with no mane held Rocksalt down, he asked him, "Any last words, runt?" With a wicked smile.
"Yeah, Ah got a few; did that buck to the head loosen up any of your brain cells, or did ya have any to begin with?"
The first colt looked down to him, a confused look across his face. He looked to his friend, a Tyrian purple colt with a faded brown mane. "Dolph, what'd he say?"
"He just called ya an idjit, Bern."
Bern gritted his teeth. "An idjit?! You're gettin it now, runt!" He pulled back his hoof. "I’m going to beat you into the ground!" He gave Rocksalt a quick punch across the mouth.
Pecan began to struggle, but she couldn't get out from under Dolph. Seeing her wiggle under him, Dolph bent down and whispered in her ear, "Don't try and get away, now. This is gonna be good." Pecan responded by biting down on his fore leg until she drew blood. The almond filly managed to free herself as he held out his leg, but was caught again not long after. Dolph pulled her towards him. "You are a terrible little filly. I must teach you some manners!"
Both colts drew their hooves back, prepared to place a firm smack across the foals' faces. But before they could let fly their hooves a huge tug at their ears brought them off the foals and onto their sides.
Before the teenage colts could pick themselves up, their ears were pulled again, dragging them along the ground and past the crowd of foals. It hurt so much they could both swear whoever was doing it wanted to tear away the cartilage. When the pony that was pulling at their ears let them loose, they hit the ground below a set of silver hooves. They looked up to see the silver pony's deep peridot stare. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked.
The boys said nothing.
"Well come on, explain yourselves," Mina said, frustrated by their silence. When they gave no indication of talking, she again gripped them by the ears. She pulled them far enough off the ground to allow gravity to go to work. "Where do the two of you get off, about to hit foals half your size?"
"They hit us, first," Dolph said between clinched teeth.
"Oh, and why would he do that?"
"They, uh..." Dolph stuttered.
"They stopped us from pounding on Clack."
"Bern, shuddup!" Dolph hissed.
Mina dropped Dolph. "And why were you doing that?"
"Because it makes us feel good."
Mina allowed the iron colored colt to drop down as she rolled her eyes. "That's no reason for you to hit anypony," she scolded as they recovered. "You shouldn't be doing that to anypony at all. Most especially to a filly." She finished by eyeing the purple colt.
"Well, she bit me!"
Mina crouched down over the colts, giving them a smirk. "If you both don't leave now, I'll bite you both. And I'll strip the flesh from your rotten bones." She parted her lips, revealing two rows of pointed teeth. They were polished so fine the colts could see their reflections bounce back. Mina took a leap forward, letting out a loud growl.
Thinking they were about to become fresh meat for the crazed mare, Dolph, Bern, and the encircled foals ran for their lives, not daring to look back. Some tripped their companions, hoping satisfy the hunger of the silver psycho.
After feeling she had chased the foals away, Mina came to a stop, a wide smile held across her face. She turned back to Rocksalt, the twins, and a young, bright yellow foal with even brighter blue eyes. She took this colt to be Clack. She made her way over to the group. "Er ou ked okah."
The foals looked up to her, acting as if she'd said something in an alien language. "What was that?" Pecan asked, not the least bit frightened by the silver's mare's sharp fangs.
"Uh zid- Vait." Mina reached into her mouth and pulled out her fangs at the gums. She held them out for the foals to better see. "They come loose so easily. I just bought them today, too. They start holidays earlier and earlier every year. Anyway, I wanted to know if you kids were okay."
The twins gave the silver mare a nod. Rocksalt, meanwhile, was unable to take his eyes off her.
"Hey, Kid,” Mina inquired. “Are you okay?"
When he didn't respond Pecan gave him a nudge in the side. "Rocko, she asked you a question."
"Did she...?" He asked, not looking over to the almond filly.
Pecan waved a hoof in front of the dull brown colt's face. "Rocko, Rocko, Equus to Rocko, come in Rocko."
After registering Pecan's hoof, he swatted it away. "What, Pecan, what?!"
"She just asked if you're okay. And why is your face so red?"
"Is it?" He snuck a glance over to Mina, who continued to stare down at him with her bright peridot eyes. "Ah... Ah don't know," he said as he crossed one of his back legs over the other, not knowing the reason why. He stole another peek over to Mina, who gave an innocent chuckle at his expense.
"That sounds like a yes to me." Mina replied without anypony asking. She looked past the group, over to the yellow colt. "What about you, small fry? Those jerks didn't bang ya up to bad, did they?"
"Not too bad, but they were going to do worse to me than the other times."
"Why, have they done things like this to you before?"
"Uh huh, but only when they're in a bad mood. They tell me that beating me up cheers them up, but it ends up bumming me out."
"Do your parents know they do that?"
"I don't know."
"But they must notice when you come home with bruises."
"No, I never see my parents. None of us do. Except for when they come by to pick us. They don't usually come back after that."
"Wait, Clack, I'm confused," Mina said, raising her hoof. "What do you mean your parents pick you? Did your parents leave you here?"
Clack gave a shrug. "I don't know. Ms.Potts just says we were left here." He motioned behind him to the orphanage. "And she's says one day our parents will come by to pick us, and that we should look as cute as possible so they know which one to pick. I do try, but nopony picks me. Ms.Potts says those weren't my parents, but that I shouldn't worry because they'll be here next time."
With that said the pieces fit together in the other everyponies’ mind. "Clack, do you know what this place is?" Mina asked.
"Yeah, it's temporary."
"Who told you that?"
"Ms. Potts. She tells us a lot of things, like how baby foals come from the bottom of beer mugs, and our names."
"So did Ms. Potts tell you your name was Clack?"
"No, she says it's Clack Tap, but that it's okay if everypony calls me Clack. I think it's a good name. It's a name you can dance to." Clack proceed to beatbox as he danced on the spot.
"Okay, okay, Clack. I see what you mean," Mina said, stopping the young colt. "I'll say this, you have some nice moves."
At that his bright blue eyes lit up. "You think so, because whenever everypony else sees me dance they laugh or say, 'Clack, stop making that noise'. Sometimes they throw things, but not too often because Ms. Potts will make them clean out from under the beds." He looked around to Rocksalt and the twins. "Was it funny to you?"
"No, it was...something else," Rocksalt said.
"Yeah, it was...something else..." Almond added.
"What do you mean? It looked like he needed to go-" Pecan got cut off when Mina shot her a look. "I mean yeah. It was nice.”
"Really?! Nopony never ever said that before. But that was nothing. Let me show you what I can really do."
Before Clack could let out another beat the others cut him off. "No, that's fine," Pecan replied. "You look like you could use some rest after what those jerks did."
"You can say that again. Before you both showed up Ms.Potts had them clean the whole kitchen for trying to steal food from the pantry. They got on me for being a snitch, but I didn't snitch. Ms.Potts caught them without me saying anything." He looked over to Pecan. "Thank you for what you did, though."
"Nah, don't thank me. Thank Rocko," she said, looping a hoof over Rocksalt. "He's the one who got'em first. I just jumped in so he wouldn't die as fast."
"Well thanks, Rocko. To tell the truth when I first saw you I thought you wanted to hurt somepony, somepony like me. But when you hit Bern, and then she bit Dolph on his... On his..." Clack lost himself in a fit of laughter.
"Yeah, well," Rocksalt said, shrugging the praise away. "It was nothing. But I think Pecan here should brush her teeth when she gets home." This made Clack laugher that much harder.
Pecan narrowed her eyes down at the ground. "I don't think he washed in weeks. Bleh!"
"Well make sure it's not one of their toothbrushes," Clack said after getting out all his laughs. "Ms. Potts makes them clean the bathroom with their toothbrushes when she finds out they hit me, and then makes them brush their teeth."
"Dang," Rocksalt scoffed. "That sounds nasty, but from what they did Ah'll never say they don't deserve it, pickin on somepony your size."
"Yeah, but I'm sure they want to get me now more than ever. When they come back they'll want to beat on Clack, and I'm Clack. And if they're as mad as I think they are then Ms.Potts will have to make them clean the bathrooms for a whole year. What can I do?"
"Ah... Ah don't know what to tell ya, kid." Rocksalt stammered out.
It was Mina who put her hoof down, drawing the foals' attention. "Clack, don't you worry about them. I'll make sure they never bother you again. Why don't you stick with Rocksalt and the girls for the rest of the day while I take care of Bern and Dolph?"
"I don't know. Do you really think you can do that, Ms. Pretty?"
Mina placed a reassuring hoof on the bright yellow colt's withers. "Of course I can. You just go and have fun. I promise you when you come back tonight they'll never want to hurt anypony ever again."
Taking the silver mare on her word, Clack left with Rocksalt and the twins. After they were gone, Mina prepared to leave herself, but got sidetracked by a black mare, whose barrel bulged out like a potbellied stove. "Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but what do you plan on doing to Dolph and Bern?" Stoney Potts asked.
"Oh, you know," Mina said, playing innocent. "Just teach them that no matter how big and mean they think they may be, there will always be somepony who's bigger and meaner. You know, put them in their place."
For a second the black mare said nothing as she gave a scowl. "As their primary care provider, I'm legally obligated to stop you from what you're planning on doing. However, as somepony who feels they could go for such a reminder I can say I never knew about it."
"Never knew about what?" Mina was quick to ask.
"Exactly my point. So now I will go back inside and tend to supper. But I would ask one thing, though. If it needed to be asked, I would ask you please refrain from any violence, if possible. But since I have no reason to ask, I'm just an old mare who's wasting her breath."
"Ahh, you don't look that old. I would say you're not a day over 25."
Stoney Potts gave that thought a chuckle. "You flatter an old mare, Miss...?"
"Mina."
Stoney eyed the silver mare. "I'm sorry, but was that 'Mina'." Mina gave a nod. "I'm sorry, but it seems to be such an odd name. Oh, you must think I'm being rude."
"Well, to tell you the truth, Ms. Potts, I'm a weird kind of mare. But don't sweat it, I gets that look all the time."
"I'm still sorry. Anyhow, I need to go and get ready to make the foals' supper. They get so cranky with this old woman if she's late. But I do love them all so, when they mind their manners."
"Eh, they're just kids. And kids just need a little push in the right direction now and again. Somepony- Well, I guess somebody taught me that."
"Whoever they are I suppose that is a good lesson to live by. But I'm always so tired, and the dears can get so rowdy sometimes that I don't know what to do. I don't mean to pry, but you wouldn't happen to have raised a foal or two, have you?"
"No, but I've always wanted to," Mina replied.
"Well, would you mind helping this old mare out from time to time? Specifically when I need somepony to take over for me when I feel faint or worn out?"
"I don't know, did this just become a job interview?"
"Maybe, would it be bad if it was?"
"No, but I would say 'hay yeah'! And I am. Hay yeah!"
"But I haven't even told you I couldn't pay very much."
"It's fine, I'll do it."
"Oh, well that's lovely. I can start you tomorrow. I would start you now but Rolph and Bern need to be talked to first, which I don't know the reason why."
Mina tapped at her nose and gave a wink as she walked off in search of the unruly teenagers.
With that being said Stoney Potts went back inside the orphanage, a sly smile spread across her small lips. Whatever the silver mare was about to do might not solve all her problems, but it would give her some time to herself in her late, diminishing years. If anything, it would save her from having to referee the two colts ten times, or more, a day.
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The first thing outside of the gagging was the pain Rumble felt in his chest. It was not exclusive to the inside but on the outside, as well. As he spit up a foul tasting liquid he felt the world turn over. But it wasn't the world that had turned, it was him. He could tell he was turned on his side as the damp soil of the bog began to refresh his memory.
As his mind came back he began to remember more events of the day. There had been the barn at Sweet Apple Acres, a hay loft, and then the bog and the dark inside of the cave within it. He couldn't yet remember all the reasons why those things went in that order. His attention was more on the foul tasting water that sprung out of his mouth with each cough.
As his senses came back into focus he felt something hold his side. He attempted to pull away but the thing kept him lying on his side.
The words the thing said were muffled words, but what it said was clear, "Relax, Rumble, let it all out. Don't hold back if you feel you're gonna puke."
A few seconds later Rumble did just that, though not a lot came out. After that there came more coughs while the thing that held him in place rubbed his back in reassurance. "That's it, you're doing great."
After a while the coughing came to one every few seconds. The voice told him to take in deep breaths, and not to panic. Rumble listened to the voice, he didn't know what else he could do.
When Rumble was starting to breathe more normal, the colt heard a shuffling noise. It wasn't long after that he felt his head pulled up a few inches, and a somewhat hard pillow was set under him. "You just lie down. When you're ready here's a bottle of water."
Still on his side, Rumble watched the thing place a smooth glass bottle down in front of him. At first the colt went to reach out for the bottle, but when he noticed what had placed the bottle down his heart skipped a beat. There was only one thing he knew of with a five parted appendage like that.
Rumble rolled over on his back, and what he saw now confirmed it: Bryce was with him.
Bryce saw Rumble look at him and gave a wave. "Hey, kid."
His first thought was to push away, but when he tried to sit up he found his body would not respond.
Taking a gentle hand, Bryce pressed the light grey colt back onto the ground. "Rumble, just stay down for now."
But Rumble refused, instead taking another try at pulling himself together. He winced at the pain in his chest. "Ahh, what did you do to me?"
"I resuscitated you."
"What, like what you did with Lane? Where Lane?!"
"He's not far. But this is nothing like paralysis. I revived you."
"You had to have done something. I can hardly move."
"Well, almost dying can do that."
"Yeah, I'm sure that... Almost...dying...?" Rumble fell back down as he turned himself over to look at Bryce. The human gave him a grim, yet confirming stare. "Did you just say-?"
Bryce gave a slow nod. "Rumble," he said in as serious a tone as possible, "you almost drowned. If I hadn't shown up when I did you wouldn't be questioning me right now."
The realization of what the human had said caused a knot to form in the pit of his stomach. He found it hard to breathe, and this time it wasn’t from the bog water. "So...when you said if I ran...? That was a warning?"
"It was."
"But what about Lane? Is my brother okay?"
"He's alive, if that's what you're asking. He's still over at the cave. I brought you over here because he was throwing rocks."
"Are you going to hurt him? I know what he saw, but do you really have to hurt him?"
Bryce bit down on his lip. "Kid, I was never going to hurt him. If things had gone well all I would have done is wiped his memory of whatever he saw and be done with it."
"But you had that pitchfork. You were going to skewer him."
Bryce blew up a breath. "That wasn't what it looked like. I was mad at your brother, and I still am, but that was more to blow off steam because... I just have not had that good of a day." Bryce rested his hands on top of his fists. "And I'm sorry you had to be a part of my bad day; you and your brother. I was going to talk with him about what he said later on, but I had something I needed to at least get started. I'm not blaming him, but Thunderlane just had to be..."
"Thunderlane?" Rumble finished.
"Yeah, Thunderlane."
"But what about when you made everything float, when you warned be not to run? How did you know we'd be out here?"
"Well, sometimes I get visions. Visions about things that haven't happened yet, but I can personally stop from occurring. Whenever it's something really bad it makes my head spin, and you saw what can happen with that. It's what helped me find you, and save you. But I don't want to talk about this. We still need to get your brother back over on this side."
"Okay, but I'm not going anywhere until you answer my next question. How did you take away his flight? Because from what I could understand you did it through mind control, but you didn't do it through mind control."
Bryce looked away from Rumble. "That's something I should explain to you both. I already feel bad enough about it as is, I don't want to explain it twice." Bryce tapped the glass bottle. "Take your time and drink some water. You are thirsty, right?"
Rumble eyed the bottle. "Uh, yeah... But how did you know that?" Using his thumb and two adjacent fingers, Bryce brought his hand to the side of his head. "Oh, right."
"Drink it up, but take it slow. You don't need to make yourself sick."
Rumble took slow gulps from the bottle, savoring every last drop. After he was finished he let Bryce help him up and get accustomed to walking. As the colt took a few shaky steps forward Bryce took note of something. He was careful as he took one of Rumble's fore hooves in his hand. "What happened here?"
Rumble saw it, the thin gash that ran around his fore leg. "Oh, that's from the string. When I didn't want you to catch me."
Bryce placed his thumb on the wound. "Does this hurt?" Rumble shook his head. "Okay. I'm going to take care of this now, just so it doesn't get infected." Rubbing his fingers, Rumble watched as a bright goop began to form between the digits. After drawing out a fair amount, Bryce rubbed the goop around the wound, to which Rumble felt his stomach turn over, then settle down as the air around him turned cool. A welcome felling in the dense, humid bog.
When Brycee was finished the wound was still there, but it looked to have had a few days to heal. "When we get back I'll finish it up. I would do more, but I don't know what else will happen out here."
With that done, and after Rumble felt more confident walking on his own, Bryce slung his satchel over his neck. They went a short distance away, back to the cave. The first thing the colt noticed was the notorious pitchfork, duct taped together with a shovel. It had been impaled into the ground not far from the shore.
The second was Thunderlane, who sat outside the cave with a scowl on his face. When the stallion saw Bryce return, his immediate response was to chuck a rock across the water. Instead of hitting Bryce, the rock sailed to the side and smacked Rumble in the head. "Ow!" He cried.
"Rumble, is that you? Did I get'm?"
"You got him, alright. Right on the head."
"Okay, I'm trying again. When I throw it you run." Thunderlane let a second stone fly, but before it could hit Rumble, Bryce used his telekinesis to pull it out of the air and sling it back. It embedded in the ground right in front of the stallion. Thunderlane jumped back, letting out a scream like a frightened filly.
Bryce looked across the bog to Thunderlane. "If that had hit him I would have made you swim over here. Now how you get over there?"
"I walked."
Bryce shook his head in disbelief. "Be serious."
“He is being serious,” Rumble rebuked. “He walked us over there. Well, he walked us most of the way. And when he tried to walk us back over he fell in and I almost drowned." He said the last part while staring daggers at his brother.
"How was I supposed to know? I thought you were joking."
Rumble was speechless for a second. "Joking...? JOKING?!?!?! I almost died!!! What part of any of this looks like a joke?!"
"That's what it looked like, and you needed to learn how to swim."
Rumble was about to say more, but Bryce placed the shovel end of his makeshift weapon over Rumble's face. Their eyes met. "Kid, this is getting us nowhere," Bryce whispered in a stern tone. "You can yell at him once we're out of here." Bryce removed the shovel and asked Thunderlane, "Where did you walk from over here to get over there?"
Thunderlane pointed to Bryce’s feet. "Right where you're standing."
Bryce took a few steps forward, making sure he wouldn't fall in the bog. Taking his weapon, he stuck the pitchfork end down into the water, allowing most of the shaft to disappear underwater. Then he pulled it back out. "There's nothing here," he declared.
"I know, and there's nothing on this side, either."
"How do you know there's nothing on this side?"
"Because you would have hit it with your fat head when you jumped in after Rumble." Bryce didn't want to admit it, but he was right. "And there's no way I'm swimming in that mess, not after the big leech I had to pull off. And don't think I'm going to let you carry me over with whatever those freaky-deaky mind powers you have are called."
"Trust me, Thunderlane," Bryce called back. "If I wanted you dead now I am more than capable of doing so. I'll think of something. Just keep yourself occupied with that salamander you have with you."
"Salamander? What are you-? You again?!"
With Thunderlane occupied Bryce looked around the shore. There wasn't much to work with, but a dead tree on the verge of tipping over into the bog gave him idea. It would be enough for the older pegasus to sit on, and since he could use his telekinesis on the log there was little chance of anything living getting crushed.
He walked over to the tree and planted a firm kick on its bark. It dipped a few inches closer to the water. He gave it a few more kicks, each time forcing it to bend down further. Then with one large kick, the tree gave a whine and fell into the water. "Okay, now we're in business."
Using his telekinesis, Bryce navigated the log through the water and over to Thunderlane. He waited for the pegasus to hop on board, but he stood as if planted to the ground. "Well, get on."
"Nah uh. You might be rescuing me but there's no way I'm gonna trust you with my life." Bryce stared back, as if to ask, 'Do you know what you just said?' Thunderlane responded with, "You know what I mean. I'm not coming over there unless I can paddle it myself."
"Lane, come on. It's getting dark," Rumble protested.
"Not gonna happen!"
Rumble let out a snort. He turned to Bryce, thinking he would agree with him. But instead the human responded with, "Kid, just let him do it. It’s safer that way."
Rumble gave a huff, but decided to accept it. "Alright, Lane. Just...hurry up!"
Thunderlane pulled a limb off the tree that would suit his needs. Stepping onto the log, he went to push himself off, but stopped when he saw he had a passenger. "Oh no, not gonna happen," he said to the yellow spotted salamander. He used the stick to pick up the amphibian and place it back on the cave shoreline. When he went to cast off again, he saw the salamander attempt to sneak its way on board. "I said no," Thunderlane said, flinging the salamander back, using his makeshift oar like a golf club.
He watched the salamander as it walked back to the log and stare up at him. "Son of a..." He said under his breath. "Stupid lizard! Go home!" He pointed to behind the amphibian. "That's your home! Are you too good for your home?!" The salamander darted its eyes about, further infuriating the stallion. "Answer me!"
The salamander response was a 'whoop'.
Thunderlane let out a growl.
"Stop arguing with something that’s below your IQ." Bryce shouted. "Either get your butt over here or we're leaving you. And also, it's an amphibian. It can bad mouth you on land and water."
In the time it took Thunderlane to listen to Bryce, the salamander had made its way back onto the log, taking a seat at what would have been considered the bow. Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, Thunderlane let it stay and cast off.
As Rumble watched his brother take the long way to get back on land, he asked Bryce, "Why didn't you just pick him up?"
Without looking down, Bryce said, "Because if I did there's a chance he would be crushed to death. Not on purpose, but there is a chance."
There was a short pause before Rumble asked, "How long was I underwater?"
Bryce shook his head. "I can't say, kid. All I can tell you it was long enough you needed to be resuscitated."
"And what does that mean?"
"It means I had to get your heart and lungs working again."
"Oh... So I did almost die?"
"Well, in a way you did, but you're alive now."
"I guess. But why didn't Lane save me? Did he even jump in?"
"No, he didn't But you need to under-" Without warning, Bryce looked back into the bog, almost as if he'd heard something. He stood like that for a few seconds before he said under his breath, "Damn it all!"
"Bryce, what is it?" Rumble asked of him.
Before he could answer, Thunderlane announced in a snide tone, "I have arrived. Now let's get out of here."
But instead of turning his attention to his brother, Rumble continued to look up at Bryce. "Bryce?"
"We need to get inside."
It took time for Rumble to understand what he'd said. "Inside where?"
Bryce turned to the pegasi. "We need to get inside the cave, now!" He unslung his satchel and tossed it onto the ground.
"Bryce, what's going on?" Rumble asked.
"And what makes you think we're going back in there?" Asked Thunderlane, peeved at the human's orders. "We just got out from over there and you want to put us right back in? Nah uh, not gonna happen."
"You will and you are," Bryce declared as he picked up his pitchfork-shovel tool.
"Or what, are you gonna hurt me? You know what, I'm starting to think you're all talk with that thing. I can tell you're not gonna use it, you only carry it around to make yourself look tougher than you really are." Bryce made to refute the stallion, but he cut him off. "Unless you can give me one good reason to listen to you, I'm going back to Ponyville."
Thunderlane turned to leave, but didn't get far as the earth around them let out a rumble. It was soon followed by a second, stronger rumble. Each resounding shake after that grew in strength.
The two brothers looked to Bryce. "Take your brother and get to the cave," he said, unmoved by the tremors. "I'll hold it off as long as I can." He pointed to his satchel. "Take my bag, and whatever you do don't get it wet. If it gets wet we'll be flying dark in there." When neither brother made a move, Bryce shouted, "MOVE!!!"
They did as instructed. Rumble grabbed Bryce's satchel in his mouth and took position at the end facing the cave. Thunderlane hopped on after, pulling out all the stops as he paddled the log through the water. Bryce had disappeared out of sight before Thunderlane could cast away.
When they reached the halfway point a loud roar bellowed out through the bog. It forced Thunderlane to paddle so hard the front end of the log floated over the water.
By the time they reached the cave Bryce had been ran back to the beach, and he was not alone. Knocking its way through the trees after him was a large, three-headed hydra. As the large serpent chased after Bryce it took a lot for the human to keep from being swallowed by one of its three mouths. He had hoped the trees would slow the hydra down but the run through the trees was like running trough a patch of dandelions.
Seeing that Rumble and Thunderlane had made it to the cave, and off the log, Bryce grabbed up the log in a telekinetic grip and flung it behind him. It had the desired outcome of catching the hydra by its three necks and sending it onto its back.
With the hydra held back, he yelled out to the pegasi, "Move!" As he waved his hand to the side.
Over the roars of the hydra, they couldn't make out his words. "What's he saying?" Thunderlane asked.
"I don't know, I can't hear him."
From across the bog, Bryce hefted back his weapon and sent it flying out to the cave.
In that instance, Thunderlane knew what Bryce had meant. Pulling his brother out of the way, the colt missed the pitchfork's tines by little more than a hair. They heard Bryce yell out, "Sorry!" Not long after. With his weapon now on the other side, Bryce dived into the bog.
After struggling with the log for long enough, the hydra tossed it away like it was nothing. The hydra got to its legs and continued the hunt. Down at the water's edge, the three heads spied the human as he escaped into the cave, weapon in hand. Stepping into the water, their shared body sank down to the bottom of their necks.
At the opening to the cave, each head struck forward in unison, causing them to butt heads. While two of the heads snapped at each other, the third took their confrontation as a chance to slink inside.
Once inside the hydra looked about, but could see nothing through the darkness. It whiffed the air, drawing in on the location of its prey. If it had done this the moment it entered the hydra head would have smelt the human at its side. But it hadn't, and it gave Bryce the opportunity to bring down the shovel blade down where its head connected to its neck.
The hydra felt pain, a pain that recoiled back outside to its companions. Its loud cries echoed through the cave. But Bryce kept chopping away, he chose to ignore the pain its cries caused to his hypersensitive ears. He continued to hammer the shovel down until he cut through to the cave floor. With its head gone, the now decapitated neck slithered out from where it had come.
With the head no longer a danger, Bryce retreated further into the cave, not stopping until he caught up with Thunderlane and Rumble. Leaning against a rock, Bryce felt around for his satchel. When he found it he pulled out his Zippo lighter. He spun the flint until the flame came to life.
From the dim light of the flame, Bryce could see the brothers huddled close together, the fear in their eyes hard to miss. "Did you get it?" Thunderlane asked.
"I got the one head, but if it is what I think it is I just made it stronger."
"Stronger? What do you mean stronger?"
"Well, by cutting off that head I made way for it to grow back that head and another head."
"So you're saying it has four heads now?" Bryce gave a nod. "Welp, good job."
"Well, it's not the worst thing I've ever done." He got up, drawing the lighter around the cavern before he turned back the way he'd come. "That thing knows we're in here, and I doubt it's going anywhere soon." He looked back the pegasi. "We need to find another way."
"Where?"
"I'll tell you where not. Here. Because we're not going to find anything just sitting around. But firsts things first." Bryce took up his satchel and rummaged around inside of it. He brought out another glass bottle, which he placed in front of Thunderlane. "Drink this, and take your time."
"What is it?" Thunderlane demanded.
"It's water. Drink up."
Thunderlane eyed the bottle. "Sure, and when do the snakes pop out?"
"It's water. You're dehydrated. Drink it."
"No way."
"Why not?"
"How do I know you didn't put something in it?"
"Sure, I came all the way out here, saved your brother, and made you turn back around so you wouldn't become hydra food just so I could poison you."
"Is that a confession?"
"No, it's me saying to drink the only drinkable water you're going to find out here. That is unless you're willing to do the Bear Grylls method. Better hurry; sun's going down." He walked a few feet down into the cavern to survey the area.
Thunderlane crossed his fore hooves over his chest. "Lane, please drink it," Rumble begged.
"I'm not gonna."
"Lane, it's water. Bryce gave me some, too."
"Did he?"
"He did. And if it were poison then I would be dead by now. And trust me, I know what it feels like."
The stallion stared daggers at the bottle as if it would reveal its true nature. He gave a huff as he pulled it towards his chest. By now his mouth was so dry he could feel his lips crack. He pulled the cork off the bottle and downed the contents in no time at all. It hadn't been enough to wet his whistle, but it would tide him over, at least for now. Regardless of whether the water held poison or not, it was best thing he'd ever tasted.
With the bottle empty, Thunderlane dropped it on the ground and picked himself up. He made his way over to Bryce. "Okay, I drank. Now how do we get out of here?"
"Well, for starters, I don't know how much light we have left. So we need to get as far as we can now." Thunderlane agreed as he and Rumble walked down the cavern. Bryce shouldered his makeshift weapon before saying, "Okay, when my lighter gives out your eyes will need a minute to adjust. It's still going to be dark, but if you see any light at all say something. In the meantime you both need to make sure of where you step. Take it slow, but make sure whatever you step on holds your weight."
They hand't gone longer than a few minutes before Bryce's Zippo did as predicted. When the flame gave out Bryce spun the flint wheel, spewing out a few sparks, but otherwise having no beneficial result. He pocketed the lighter. "Well, that's the end of that." He was answered by a high pitched 'whoop'. Bryce looked back through the darkness. "Is that salamander still with you?"
"Yeah, he's on my back," Thunderlane confirmed. "I can't try anymore, he can just stay there."
"Well, what does it look like?"
"Does it matter?"
"It could."
"It's black with bright yellow spots," Rumble answered.
Bryce was silent for a few seconds. "Okay, don’t make it mad."
"Why, what's wrong with it?"
"It's called a fire salamander. If it feels threatened it can excrete a poison that can cause itching or burning to skin."
Thunderlane was silent for a short time. "I don't feel anything like that."
"I’m not finished. If you ingest it, you’ll suffer from muscle convulsions, hypertension, and respiratory paralysis."
"I don't plan on eating it, if that's what you're telling me not to do. But that does sound bad."
"Believe me, it is. Now, do either of you see any light?"
The boys were quiet for a second as they scrunched their noses in the darkness. But the answer was obvious: They were blind.
"No, I can't even see my hoof in front of my- Hey, hey, quit it!" Thunderlane gave a few laughs.
"What's wrong?"
"The salamander crawled over me and it tickles."
"Is it still on you?"
"No, and I would know. That thing's so cold I wouldn't lick it out in the heat."
"Well, it's for the best you get that thing off you. Like I said, those things are poisonous."
From up ahead there came a 'whoop', followed by a small flame that lit up the cavern.
Bryce and the two pegasi winced at the sight. "Ahh, what the hay is that?"
"I don't know, my lighter's dead."
As the shock of the flame faded away, the group looked at the source in surprise. A few feet up ahead there was a small flame. But it was what fueled the flame that made their mouths hang open.
At the center of the fire, unscathed by the hot flames was the salamander.
"Bryce, you said that was a fire salamander, right?" Rumble asked.
"I did, but not this kind. Of all the things that exist in this world of little horse things..." He formed the sign of the cross over his chest.
Taking a moment to take in the scene, Thunderlane said, "Okay, I take back everything I said. This thing...is awesome." The salamander gave a 'whoop' in response. "You are a cool fire lizard."
"Salamander," Bryce corrected.
"Whatever you call it, it's awesome." The stallion got down on his hind legs. "What do you say, wanna help us get out of this place, buddy?" The salamander gave a 'whoop', which Thunderlane took as a 'yes'. "Awesome. I know you'll come through.” He turned back to Bryce and his brother. “What are you waiting for, an invitation? We can see, so let’s get the hay out of here.”
Thunderlane walked on, the salamander keeping pace close beside him. Rumble let out a low groan. Bryce noticed this, and said, “Don’t worry, kid. I bet anything it's going to do something small to make him hate it again. But in the meantime, let’s see where this goes.”
Rumble had to agree with Bryce. If there was one thing he knew about his brother, he wouldn't hang on to the salamander for very long. He never hung on to anything he cared about for very long.