Mantis’s head throbbed as he watched the princess disappear into the clouds. Were he younger, he’d likely curse her in some underwhelming fashion. ‘Go ahead, run! I’ll be waiting!’, or something to that effect. Instead, all he offered her departure was a scowl, his body feeling a little too cold for anything more emotive. He then looked to his downed and blind soldiers, before letting out a long sigh. He shifted, taking on the form of a pegasus, before picking up his helm.
“Hmph. Not bad,” he mumbled under his breath, a hint of pride in his voice. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but there was something admirable in being bested by someone he thought beneath him. He quickly dismissed the odd feeling as he glanced to the gorge, seeing Sledge hovering out, alone. “Aegis?” he asked.
“Double checking. Looking for the runt,” he quickly replied. Mantis let out a small huff.
“Pointless. She got away,” he said, holding his helm towards the guard, whose ears fell.
“I- I should have stayed. I’m sorry, master,” Sledge said, shame written on his face.
“It couldn’t be helped,” Mantis said dismissively, “We had an unexpected interloper.”
“Cursed snake,” Sledge replied, rubbing his neck, wincing. “Should I hunt the princess?” Mantis tilted his head at that, briefly glancing to his most loyal soldier.
“If you wish. Capture or kill, I care not which.” Mantis considered the matter for a moment, “I want you to deal with the pony. He knows far too much.” He then gave Sledge a hard look, “But don’t forget your primary goal.”
“I won’t, master.” Sledge then frowned, “What of Aegis?” Mantis’s head throbbed more at the question, making the general sigh. Had she not gone away, Aegis would have been the perfect watchdog to the ‘tower’ Chrys would have been locked in.
“I’ll calm him down,” he said with a sigh, “Can’t have him running back to the hive.” He then gave Sledge a cold look, “Humor him until you reach Equestria, then deal with him.”
“With pleasure,” he replied, following Mantis’s gaze, looking north.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chrys felt a tingle crawl down her spine. It was only natural, as the air was cold, and her fur was wet. Despite that, she was feeling pretty good with herself right now.
“So!” Dud began, “On a scale of five to ten, I'd give our escape top marks!” he let out happily, before wincing in pain, the barrel shifting slightly in his grasp. “Okay, maaybee a nine. It went pretty well, right?” Chrys let out a small sigh as she looked to the stallion.
“A nine?” she asked as she raised an eyebrow to him, “We don’t have enough food, and no Aegis to back us up!” She then blinked as she looked to Momo. Her expression then softened as she rubbed her cheek against her clutchling. “Yeah, easily a ten,” she mumbled, her words only heard by Momo.
“Thanks Chrys,” Momo whispered in turn with a warm smile, before speaking up. So… what did I miss?” she asked, making Chrys and Dud exchange looks.
“Who's going first?” Dud ask, the clouds beneath them rumbling as he did, their promise of danger lost to them.
“Going first?” Chrys asked.
“Well, Momo's here. That wasn't part of the plan," he replied before pointing to Chrys, "You somehow beat up those two big guys—”
“Their names are Sledge and Aegis,” Chrys said flatly, “Sledge was the one you took down a few days ago.”
“How could I forget?” he asked, before shaking his head, “Who’s first?” he added expectantly as his body shifted, his hooves working to get a better grasp on the barrel he carried.
“Momo, what are you doing here?” Chrys asked curiously, not in the mood to divulge her luck regarding the snake's attack. “Mantis told us you were returned to the hive. That was a lie, right?”
“Well, considering I escaped him several hours after he 'took me in'. Yep! I big fat lie!” she said flatly, getting a surprised look from Chrys. Dud however seemed to nod in agreement, as if he had expected it.
“How'd you escape?” Chrys asked, briefly wondering if a snake had been involved. Momo actually gave Chrys a bashful look.
“Well, it wasn’t easy. Me against six soldiers... But, I managed,” she said before glancing away, "barely," she added under her breath.
“You took down six soldiers?” Chrys asked, making Dud chime in.
“Eight, if you include the two she planted in the mud. You know, the ones that were chasing you,” he pointed out, making Momo blush slightly.
“I wanted to be ready when Mantis took me in. Guess all that effort paid off,” she said with a bright smile, making Chrys frown in thought.
“You knew it would happen?” she asked in an unfavorable tone, making Momo wince, as if she had unexpectedly put a hoof in her mouth.
“Y-Yes,” she replied weakly, before letting out a sigh, “I've known for a while now.”
“And you still stayed with me!?” Chrys asked, “You have any idea how I felt these last two days!? I was scared!” The princess then blinked at her words, blushing as she glanced to the side.
“The word you're looking for is 'worried',” Dud said as an aside, getting a small glare from Chrys as Momo's ears fell.
“I'm sorry,” Momo mumbled as she eyed the clouds, “Darrin told me this would happen. That Mantis would use me as a bargaining piece. But, I didn't want to leave you like the others did.”
“Darrin?” Chrys asked, getting a small nod from Momo.
“Chrys, you remember that big fight him and I had … about three years ago?”
“You mean the one that ended with you two having to be looked after by Aid for several days?” she asked in a curious tone, before giving a flat look. “No. It completely slipped my mind.” She then glanced to the side as she mumbled: “Idiot.”
“Eh heh heh,” Momo let out sheepishly.
“It's not funny!” Chrys quickly replied, before her eyes widened in realization, “Wait, that fight had something to do with this?”
“Yeah. Guess now's the best time to finally fill you in,” she said, pausing a moment, getting a curious look from Dud and Chrys, before she took a deep breath. “Before our fight, Mantis approached me. He told me it would be in my ‘best interests’ to distance myself from you.” She hesitated. “He, well, he said it in a very scary way,” Momo added, letting their imaginations fill in the gap. “When I told Darrin, he said I should do just that.”
“W-What!?” Chrys asked in surprise.
“That's exactly what I said," she replied with an annoyed huff, "He told me I'd just become a liability to you. A token Mantis would use against you.” She then let out a sad sigh, “He was right, of course. But, I didn't want to hear that. I didn't want to believe that. I told him that I'd never let that happen, that I'd protect you.”
“And he tested you,” Dud assumed, getting a surprised look from the others, before Momo nodded.
“He said that if I wanted to protect Chrys, I should have become a soldier, instead of a worker. He said that a soldier protects the queen, and that I didn't stand a chance against a recruit like him." She then adopted a proud look, "I was strong. I took on work even my peers couldn't. So, I was confident I could beat him.” Her pride was then exchanged for a bittersweet smile, “I'm the oldest of our clutch, so I've always wanted to set a good example. So I worked a lot, helped out, and tried to be there when the others needed me.”
“Momo...”
“Darrin... He was focused. He never liked Mantis. He became a soldier so he could one day take him down. So when we fought, it came as a surprise to me, that I lost,” she admitted, getting a considering look from Chrys.
“Why didn't you two ever tell me this?”
“I was ... ashamed,” she said, letting her words carry in the wind for a moment before she glanced to the side. “I think Darrin kept quiet for my sake... When Aid was looking over me, I thought about it. How was I supposed to protect you, if I couldn't defeat a recruit?” She then let out a small laugh, “I only realized later that Darrin was beyond a simple recruit at that point, but the fact still held. I lost to a single soldier, so how was a worker like me supposed to win against Mantis?”
“Clearly, you got better,” Dud pointed out, getting a nod from Momo.
“I don't like giving up,” she said resolutely as she looked to Chrys, “Giving up on you wasn't an option.”
“Why?”
“That's-” she began, before her face flushed, “Still embarrassing to say. lLter, I promise,” she said, getting an appraising look from Chrys.
“Okay,” she said with a nod.
“Where was I?” Momo asked as she tried to recollect herself, “Right. After thinking about if for a couple days, I challenged Darrin to a rematch. I told him I wasn't going to give up, that I wasn't going to abandon you like Mantis wanted. It annoyed him, and I lost that time too, but I did gracefully,” she said as she glanced to Chrys, “You calling us idiots and crying kept us from taking it too far that time.”
“I- I didn't cry! But you were being idiots!” Chrys affirmed, getting a small chuckle from Momo.
“I challenged him. Again and again and again. I never won. He was constantly getting stronger. But because of that, so was I. And I guess, he was fine with that. After our first fight, he never tried pushing me away again,” she added as she wore a thankful smile. “When I saw you, standing alone against Mantis a few days ago, I was scared, but I was also ready.” She then blinked, before frowning. “A couple months ago, Darrin told me he could take on an entire squad by himself,” she said, making Chrys' eyes widen in surprise.
“And he said he's not strong enough to fight Mantis...” she mumbled.
“So, the guards that Mantis left to look after you weren't nearly enough!” Dud pointed out, getting an embarrassed smile from Momo.
“Darrin wanted to keep our fights a secret. Guess it worked, since Mantis underestimated me.”
“I didn't even know,” Chrys said, sounding a little disappointed, “Wait. You guys fought at our spot, didn't you?” she asked, getting a small nod from Momo.
“Sorry to keep you in the dark, and, sorry that I worried you,” she said as her ears fell, “I thought Darrin would tell you when Mantis made his move, but I guess he didn't.”
“The impression I got from Darrin was that he expects the worst outcome,” Dud said, “He had a couple of scary promises for me when we talked yesterday,” he added, this information seeming to surprise Momo.
“You and Darrin talked?” she asked in a quiet voice, before shaking her head and looking to her clutchling. “So, we good?” she asked, getting an appraising look from Chrys, before she rubbed her cheek against the back of Momo's neck.
“Momo, you're okay! Yes, I'm a little mad that I was kept in the dark, but I'm still glad you're safe!” she exclaimed, getting a small sigh of relief from Momo, before she adopted a bright smile. When it became clear Chrys had nothing more to add, Momo looked to Dud curiously.
“So. What's going on? What's Dud doing here? Did Lores let him out?”
“Well, Mantis wanted me to leave, or else...” Chrys said as she glanced to the side, making Momo's ears fall, “A- And Darrin guessed he'd attack me once I left, so I made a plan to get away.”
“Where is Darrin? Bulwark?”
“I made Darrin stay behind. Bulwark...” she began as her ears fell.
“He got hurt in a fight,” Dud finished, getting an annoyed look from Chrys. “What? It's true.”
“A fight I started,” she added, getting a concerned look from Momo.
“Is he gonna be alright?” she asked, getting a small nod in turn.
“Aid said he'll be fine, though he won't be able to talk for a while.” She then adopted a glare, aimed at no one in particular, “Mantis told me you were missing. I assumed he was behind it, so I fought him.”
“...And you called me an idiot,” Momo mumbled, making Chrys flush as she eyed the clouds. “Why'd you bring Dud?” she asked, before lowering her voice to a whisper, “I mean, he's a pony.”
“Huh, I never noticed,” Chrys replied flatly, rolling her eyes, “He helped me and Bulwark in that fight. I didn't know what Mantis had in store for me, but I figured having a pony on my side would help. Which it did.”
“So … I guess we're off to Equestria?” Momo asked, getting a nod from Dud.
“Your princess wants to talk to Princess Luna, or something like that.”
“And food, there's that too,” Chrys added. She then hesitated for a moment, before eyeing Dud curiously, which made him look to her, tilting his head in wonder. “Dud, come closer,” she ordered, which he followed without even a hint of a fuss.
She then looked into his eyes, her changeling magic shining through despite her pegasus form. She peered into his heart, and in her mind's eye she saw impressions, outlines of ponies, creatures, monsters, that Dud had encountered. There was nothing solid, nothing she could get a grasp of. She could feel that there was a number amongst those forms that he liked, but none of them he outright loved. No family. No special somepony. No ponies he held strong ties of 'friendship' towards. There was nothing solid in him for her magic to latch on to, nothing for her to feed on. He truly was a dud. “It'd be really useful if you decided to fall in love with something right about now,” Chrys said as she adopted a disappointed look, making Dud raise an eyebrow to her.
“I'm no relations expert, but I don't think love works that conveniently,” he said, before glancing to Momo, “Right?”
“R- Right?” Momo mirrored, just as unsure as he.
“So yeah, sorry Princess, but this nectar’s all we have for now.”
“Stop calling me that, it's annoying,” she replied dismissively, “Call me Chrys,” she added, getting a small smile from him as she paused, recalling something Darrin had implied earlier. “You like rare things, right?”
“Do I!? Yes! Specifically, rare creatures!” he quickly replied, “Though I am fond of other rare things too.” He then adopted a look of wonder, “You'd never believe the things I've seen and been through. Oh! I should tell you about the time I was paralyzed in a manticore cave for an entire week!” he added enthusiastically, making Chrys hold a hoof up.
“About that. I was wondering, do you well, collect rare creatures?” she asked, his enthusiasm quickly winding down has he looked at her, before his expression became annoyed, even insulted.
“I'd never even think of doing such a despicable thing,” he said in a hot tone, turning towards them for a moment, his mouth open in preparation to add more. He then paused, before closing his eyes as he took in a deep breath, shaking his head before looking to them. “I'm not fond of such notions, Princ- Chrys,” he explained, making Momo and Chrys exchange concerned glances. His course then shifted, making Momo hesitate for a moment, before following him.
“Where are you going?” Chrys asked suspiciously.
“Turning north,” he said flatly.
“Wait, now we're heading north?” Chrys asked in surprise.
“Yep. We've been heading east this whole time,” he explained, making Chrys glance to the sun, centered in the sky.
“How can you tell?” Momo asked.
“The Badland winds move west to east. I've been following the wind to get us some distance from the others. They know we want to go north, right? So I went a little east to make sure they didn't stumble into us.”
“Why east?” Chrys asked, getting a sheepish smile from him.
“Honestly? Because it's easier to fly with the wind. Being in that cage for so long has well, sapped my stamina. In fact, I could really use a break right now,” he added with a small smile, before eyeing Momo, “You're hungry, right?”
“I-I'm perfectly fine,” Momo replied. Her stomach gurgled in protest, getting unamused looks from Chrys, and even Dud.
“Momo, how long have you been a pegasus?” Chrys asked.
“...Since I got free,” she answered in a small voice.
“Wasn't that a little over two days ago?” Dud asked, getting a weak nod from Momo, making Dud change his course.
He flew up towards the top of a large thundercloud, and after getting a small nod from Chrys, Momo followed. With a quick turn, Dud flew through the cloud, his wings spread out, seeming to cut off the top plume as he passed through it. He then looped around, placing his shoulder on it, pushing it away from the much larger chunk he separated it from. Once it was pushed away a distance Dud seemed happy with, he flew over it, gently resting his rump on it as he held onto the barrel.
He then let out a smile fitting for one that had spent the last five months resting on a stone floor. With the barrel still in his hooves, he stretched out the best he could, letting out a pleasant sigh as he did.
Seeing this, Chrys eyed Momo for a moment, the notion of standing on a cloud enticing her to motion her clutchling closer. When they were over it, Chrys hesitated for a moment, before jumping off.
She landed on the cloud, its soft texture giving and swaying slightly at her weight. It was soft, easily the softest thing Chrys as ever felt, making her smile as she followed Dud's example, and laid down too, eyeing the sun above as she stretched out her fatigued body. The fact that she hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days was quick to make it's presence known to her.
As she lay there, she looked to the blue above, feeling the warmth of the sun. It's heat made her let out a pleasant sigh, feeling as if she was being congratulated for her success against Mantis. She then blinked when she noticed Momo was simply floating above the cloud, prompting Chrys to wave her over.
Momo hesitated for a moment, before flapping down to Chrys' side. She then landed, her wings pausing as she planted her hooves on the cloud. She promptly fell through, disappearing in a plume of white, making Chrys blinked in surprise as she heard Momo let out an indignant yelp.
“M-Momo?” Chrys asked, adopting a frown as Dud started to laugh. Momo popped out of the cloud, wings flapping, a flustered expression on her face as the changelings shared a confused look.
“A drone can't stand on the clouds. That's pegasus magic,” he pointed out, still chuckling a little as he sat up, propping up the barrel as he waved towards Momo. “We're gonna have to find shelter below the clouds when its time to sleep.”
“I- Well-” Momo began, realizing her presence would prevent them from resting where it was safe. “S-Sorry that I'm just a drone,” she said as her ears fell.
“Momo, you don't need to apologize,” Chrys quickly said as she approached her clutchling.
“She's right,” Dud added in an assuring tone, “Besides, the barrel can't stand on the clouds either. We'd need to rest on the earth anyways. I mean, I don't know about you, but I can't really carry this thing while sleeping. Also, I don't trust these clouds.”
“Huh?” Chrys asked, making Dud motion to the clouds around them.
“These clouds, they shift and change. They're nothing like the clouds in Equestria. They're wild,” he said with a slightly troubled look, “There's no telling what could happen if we slept on them,” he added, making Chrys appraise the cloud she lay on, before putting a hoof in it out of curiosity. Pulling it out, she scooped up a bit of the cloud in the process, making her eye the white puff-ball for a moment, before blowing it away with a short breath.
She watched as it caught on a breeze, flying off and out of reach. She then laid her head between her hooves as she eyed the miniature cloud. From the warmth of the sun, the soft bed, and fatigue that gnawed at her, it was only natural that she'd start to doze off. Without even putting up a fight, she closed her eyes, and was out like a hatchling.
Momo eyed Chrys curiously, flying around the cloud for a closer look, before adopting a warm smile as she realized the princess was asleep.
“Nectar?” Dud asked, making Momo blink as she looked to him, presenting the barrel to her.
“Pass. That needs to last,” she said flatly, before eyeing the pegasus. “Dud, why are you still here?” she asked, making him blink before tilting his head.
“Lots of reasons,” he began, making Momo nod in familiarity.
“Top three.”
“Okay, the biggest one is because I want to. Second biggest is because I told her I wasn't the type of pony that would abandon her. Thirdly, because Darrin is scary.”
“He threatened you?”
“No. He made promises,” Dud replied with a sense of weight, before giving Momo a smile. “Still want me to leave?” She considered the question for a minute, before nodding.
“Yes. You're free now,” she then hesitated, “You helped Chrys. Twice, apparently. So, thank you.” She then frowned, “And I really mean that.”
“I know,” he replied, his sincerity making her falter for a moment.
“You don't need to stay with her,” she added, making him consider her words, before shaking his head.
“I don't think leaving her is a good idea,” he replied, hopping on his hooves as he presented the barrel to her. She took it, her eyes widening at how heavy it was. “You'd have to carry that, and her,” he stated, making her frown as she looked at him.
“You think I can't do it?”
“How tired would you be after doing that for a whole day? What if an antlion paid the two of you a visit while you slept?” he pointed out, making her glance to the side with no answer to give. “I won't need much nectar, I can ration my portion. Besides, there's strength in numbers and all that,” he added with a small grin.
“I guess..." she conceded, eyeing the barrel for a moment, before her stomach growled, making her blush. "You're not gonna turn us in as soon as we reach Equestria, are you?
"Nope," he said with no hesitation, making her look over him for a moment, before letting out a sigh.
"...Thank you.”
"If you wanna thank me, then make sure you eat some nectar," he said with a coy smile, getting a flat look from her, before she let out a defeated sigh. She eyed the barrel for a moment, then looked to Chrys with a bothered smile.
“Wish I could lay on the clouds,” she mumbled, getting a small chuckle from Dud as Chrys flinched, suddenly springing to her hooves.
“I- I'm awake!” she stated firmly, getting nods from the others.
“That you are,” Dud replied, making Chrys rub her eyes as she looked to him.
“Don't worry Chrys, you weren't out for long,” Momo assured, getting a sigh from Chrys as she shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of fatigue. Her eyes then widened as she recalled that she was standing on a cloud.
Once again she dug her hooves into it, feeling the texture with a small smile. This was the first time she's ever had a chance to appreciate a pony's magic. She'd been taught that pegasi could walk on clouds, but she never considered trying it out herself.
She then eyed her feathery wings, recalling how she glided across the gorge. She was a young queen, which meant her shapeshifting was perfect, and it was her natural power that spared her from the snake, the guards, soldiers, and Mantis. A pegasus could glide. A changeling couldn't. Thinking this made her glare at nothing in particular, as she looked across the clouds.
She was outside of the hive, in a dangerous environment. If she wanted to make it to Equestria safely, she'd need to use whatever means she had available to do so.
Admittedly, she was just trying to persuade herself into doing something she's wanted for as long as she could remember. Flight. However, she needed to work through her changeling pride to accomplish that as a pony. Her changeling wings weren't strong enough to carry her. Did the same hold true for her pegasus wings? Regardless, she wanted her first time flying to be accomplished the way she was born, as a changeling.
“Something on your mind, Chrys?” Dud asked as he walked to her, making her realize he no longer had the barrel. She then noticed Momo had it, and was eagerly putting away her hunger with it.
“It's nothing,” Chrys quickly replied as she walked around the cloud, eyeing their surroundings as she did.
The entire cloudscape seemed similar to the ground, a notion enforced by the fact that she was walking on it, sort of. There were rolling clouds that were flat, while there were others that sprouted out of the white plain like hills or mountains. Clouds so big they cast shadows over the others, shadows illuminated by flashes of lightning.
“It's all so … different,” she said as she took it in, no sense of vertigo present to take away from it all. “Like it's a completely different world,” she added as Dud stood next to her, taking in the scene that was as much a part of him as his feathers.
“It feels like that because it's unfamiliar,” he stated confidently, “Dark forests with strange plants and creatures. Oceans and lakes deeper than the sun can touch.” He then adopted a small smile, “Caverns home to shape-shifting wonders,” he said, an excited gleam in his eyes, “There are many different worlds! There's so much to see, so many rare and unknown things just waiting waiting to be found!” He then blinked, before shaking his head, “Sorry. I ... got lost in the moment there,” he added as he rubbed the back of his head.
“You like exploring?” she asked as she raised an eyebrow to him.
“Naturally. After all, it's easier to find rare things when you go out to look for them.”
“...I suppose it's even easier when you can fly,” she replied as she eyed her wings again, stretching out her white feathers, feeling the breeze brush past them.
“Well, naturally.”
She hesitated for a moment, giving her wings an experimental flap. They were her wings, and if she flew, it would be of her own strength. But, doing it as anything other than a changeling just seemed … wrong. At least, for her first time. She wanted her first time flying to be special, something she did as her natural self. And while she wasn't in a position to get what she wanted, she didn't see a reason to simply throw away that sentiment. Not right now at least.
“We're done resting," she said as she turned to the yellow pegasus, "Dud, you can carry me.” She added, making him look to her in surprise as she hopped on his back.
Her body was briefly covered in fire as she changed back to a changeling, making Dud let out a surprised yelp from the heat. She then mirrored his cry, the cold air hitting her like a splash of icy water. Her horn quickly glowed as she recast her enchantment, making the sapping sensation vanish almost instantly.
“Momo, you good?” she asked as she eyed her clutchling, who eyed the barrel for a moment, before flying to their sides.
“Yeah, I'm good. Gotta make this last after all,” she replied, her eyes widening in surprise as Chrys took the barrel from her with her magic.
“I'll carry it. Since you couldn't rest, you shouldn't have to.”
“Chrys, I think Dud's the one that needs the rest more,” Momo pointed out, getting a small laugh from Dud.
“She's a lot lighter than that barrel, and carrying it with my hooves was awkward,” he pointed out, getting an annoyed look from Chrys.
“Did you just call me small?”
“Huh? I said 'light',” he replied as he adopted a confused look, “I'm no social expert, but most of the mares I've talked to like hearing that,” he added, making Chrys blink in surprise. “Won't carrying that tax your magic?” he asked with a considering tone, making Chrys recompose herself as she shook her head.
“I'll be fine.” Her magic wasn't spent yet, though she doubted she'd be able to carry it like this all the way to Equestria. “Now, let's get moving. The sooner we're out of The Badlands, the sooner we can stop worrying about food.”
“Right you are!” he let out energetically, before jumping off the cloud, making Chrys strengthen her hold on him in surprise. Her eyes widened as he fell for several moments, making her close them as she felt her heart trying to leave its cage. She felt him place a reassuring hoof on hers as he leveled out. Her eyes opened, seeing the horizon again as she let go of the breath she'd been keeping. She then gave the pony an annoyed look.
“D-Dud, don't ever do that again!” she let out in a flustered tone, getting a smile from him.
“Don't worry Chrys, when you can fly, you'll want to do silly stuff like that too!” he stated confidently, getting a skeptical look from her as Momo flew to his side. After Chrys regained her composure, she gave him an odd look.
“Dud, you do know what I meant about food, right?”
“Food is food. Once we're in Equestria, you'll need to stay looking like a pony, right?” he asked, getting a nod from her, “Then you can enjoy pony food instead of nectar,” he pointed out, making her adopt a skeptical look. Admittedly, the notion of not having to go through the work of siphoning love from some random pony had its appeal. But, eating pony food? “Don't worry about it too much,” he added, “We can fly over that river when we get to it.”
“River?” Momo asked in confusion.
“Erm, we'll deal with it when we need to,” Dud elaborated, getting nothing in return as his company thought on the possibility.
Ponies are food. Not pets. Not 'friends'. But, the very pony she was holding onto, couldn't be food. So, what did that make him? Once again, the old stallion on the beach came to mind, making her glance a little to the north east. The general direction of what remained of Tampa Neigh.
She then shook her head. She didn't know what Dud was supposed to be to her, and she didn't feel like asking right now. So she pushed those thoughts aside, glancing to Momo as she adopted a curious look.
“Momo, if you've been free from Mantis for a few days, that means you've been out here, right?”
“Right.”
“Have any stories?” she asked, getting a nod.
“Well, I managed to use a flaremander to get away from an antlion,” Momo began, getting an excited gasp from Dud.
“Flaremander and antlion!? I'm already liking this!” he let out, getting a small smile from the others as Momo continued her tale. Time passed as she shared her time in The Badlands over the last two days, the climax prompting Dud to tell a story in turn.
It was true, they were having a hard time believing the tale he spun. As his story concerning a daring escape from a cockatrice involving a tarnished silver spoon came to an end, they took notice of the sun hugging the horizon.
Night was coming. It was time to seek shelter.