//------------------------------// // 09 - Skeletons // Story: No Heroes: Beyond the Everfree // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// “Hey, Nibbler!” Pinkie landed next to the thestral with a beaming grin, pleasantly oblivious to her groan. “It’s Fang,” she growled, casting dark looks at the two snickering stallions ahead of the line. As she completed her third lap around the grumpy thestral, Pinkie said, “Are you sure? Because Sera calls you Nibbler sometimes and I think that’s cute.” Fang’s eyes narrowed. “Sera’s an Elder, and my aunt. She can call me whatever she wants.” “A-ha, I knew you two shared features! And now I’m friends with Sera, and any friend of Sera’s is a friend of mine, and as my new friend, I get to call you Nibbler too, right? Because that’s what friends do, come up with nicknames for one another, but you’ve already got a nickname, so it’s like we took a shortcut to being best friends!” Fang shot a pleading look towards the nearest thestral, but her silent call for aid went ignored. “You can’t call me Nibbler. And I’m not giving you a nickname, Pinkie.” Pinkie giggled as she pranced. “Yes you are, you’re already calling me by it. See, you’ve got a nickname, I’ve got a nickname, and we both like hot sauce on our hay sausages! It’s like we’ve known one another for years. Oh, oh, I’ve got a song about how close we already are!” By now Fang’s eyes were crossing and her ears had folded back against the verbal barrage. “What’s a hay sausage?” “Only one of the best things to put hot sauce on! But don’t ask how they’re made.” Her prancing stopped and her expression grew deathly serious. “Trust me, you don’t wanna know. How about that song?” “Pinkie?” She looked back to see Rainbow flying along behind her. “Hey Dashie, what’s up?” Rainbow Dash had her forelegs crossed, her brow knitted in frustration. “You sang a different song for every thestral from the back of the line to here. I think that’s enough singing for one day.” Deflating a little, Pinkie nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I guess I got a little excited about all the new friends I’m making today.” And it wasn’t like their band of travelers needed her joviality; they’d been in high spirits ever since they’d set out that morning for the thestrals’ tribe. She wasn’t about to mention that she was at it more for her sake right now. Her eyes went to the front of the line, where Fine and Fluttershy were walking side-by-side… “So!” She threw her grin back towards Fang. “Seta says you’re a Horney Wing? What’s that mean?” Keeping a straight face when Fang tripped on her own hooves was not easy. “It’s Honed Wing,” she groused, leveling her glare at anything but Pinkie. “It’s a title.” “Oooooooh…” Pinkie raised her head and rubbed her chin. “A title for what?” Fang’s stature straightened and her steps became more resolute. “Combat. It indicates that I’m one of the tribe’s best fighters.” And she lost to Fine. Pinkie made a mental note of that fact, resolving to ask Fine about his skills later. Funny, he’d always insisted that he wasn’t very good at that kind of thing. Rainbow flew over the two of them, her eyes ablaze with curiosity. “So how do you become a Honed Wing?” “Win fights,” Fang said with a proud smile. “Show your strength. Merit in battle. Do all that and a Honed Wing may recommend you. Then you have to win in the Leagues. At least one new Honed Wing is announced every year.” Rainbow landed by her side, opposite Pinkie. “You have leagues? Like, teams of fighters or something?” “Oh, no. Every year near the Winter Solstice, the tribes send their best warriors to a hosting tribe.” Fangs eyes shined, her gaze far away. Pinkie could almost see the memories playing out in her head. “They all fight in matches. The thestral with the most wins gets to be that year’s Honed Wing.” Rainbow whistled. “And you won one of those?” Fang puffed out her chest and grinned. “Two years ago. Best two weeks of my life, even if I broke a leg and chipped a tooth.” She raised her upper lip, giving both ponies a look at a small hole in one of her fangs. So… thestrals were warriors. Or at least they took pride in their fighters. Were there also wars? Pinkie recalled overhearing Seta talking about trouble back at the tribes, though she’d been hesitant to go into any details. Were they about to enter a warzone? Years of practice made it easy for Pinkie’s smile to hold firm. Even so, she had an uneasy feeling in her gut. Not the kind that came from eating one too many cupcakes, either. Rainbow and Fang were having an excited conversation by this point, so Pinkie decided to move on. She’d originally planned to talk to every thestral in the line, learning names and interests and making friends. After Rainbow’s statement and Fang’s lackluster reaction, however, she questioned if that would be appropriate now. The next thestral in the line stood rigid and was avoiding eye contact; yeah, perhaps making more friends could wait. After all, she’d have a whole tribe to befriend soon enough. She trotted ahead of the travelers, humming the Winter Wrap Up song. Thestrals looked relieved when she passed them up with only a pleasant “Hello!” or “Hey there!” She walked right past Fluttershy and Fine, who were engaged in a quiet conversation that she had no interest in interrupting. No, she was interested, but only insomuch as she might stop them from chatting, but that was not the way a good friend was supposed to behave. Pinkie was determined to be a good friend. Nye was just up ahead, near Seta where he could avoid being bombarded with questions. Pinkie couldn’t help but grin as she tried to think of what she’d say once she’d caught up. Maybe something about that kiss; she’d yet to hear the juicy details. Just the memory of Rainbow’s expression when it was mentioned in the letter nearly toppled her into a fit of giggles. Oh, she’d have fun with that for years! Both her forehooves began to shake, moving so fast they were blurs. She ignored the curious looks of the thestrals around her and focused on the motion. Yep, the hooves were shaking out of sync by a quarter-second. Fine was at her side in an instant. “What have you got, Pinkie?” Oh, wow, he was close. Still on two hooves, she stepped away from him with a giggle that was more out of nervousness than anything. “Obstruction up ahead,” she replied as her legs finally began to calm down. “A big one.” Polar Aim paused beside them. “Obstruction?” Pinkie nodded vigorously. “The path ahead’s blocked.” His eyes widened and his jaw went slack. “How do you know that? I didn’t see you scout ahead.” “Pinkie Sense,” Fine replied casually. “Don’t bother trying to understand it, you’ll just drive yourself crazy.” “No, seriously, how did she—” Rainbow landed between Pinkie and Polar, giving him a serious look. “No, seriously, don’t ask. One of our friends back home went into a fiery rage trying to figure it out, and I mean extra crispy.” Pinkie only giggled at his dumbfounded expression. “Well, she’s right. The Great Serpent lies ahead.” Pinkie’s laughter ceased. She and Rainbow exchanged short glances. Rainbow asked, “Great Serpent?” Some of the thestrals were watching now, and many that weren’t had their ears aimed back to take in the conversation. Polar’s expression had become grim. “Yeah, the Great Serpent.” He gestured ahead with a nod. “We can’t see it for the trees, but if we were above the treeline it would be plainly visible. We’ll run into it before nightfall; a massive snake that wrought terrible destruction on the jungle and wiped out four tribes just by rolling over them. Then it just… died.” Rainbow scratched a hoof across the ground with a scowl. “Dang, it even got out here.” Fang appeared at Pinkie’s side, her ears perked. “You guys know about it, too?” Pinkie nodded, her head low. “We called it Riptide. It did a lot of damage to Equestria too.” Polar asked, “So do you guys know what killed it?” Rainbow recovered her smile, decorated with just a touch of a smirk. “Oh, yeah! Our friend Upper Crust killed it. Blew the things head right off.” Several heads turned to her. Polar’s and Fang’s eyes looked like they might fall out of their sockets. “You can’t be serious,” Fang said. Pinkie shook her head, eyes downcast. “She’s very serious. Just ask the princess, she saw it. Uppity did something even Princess Luna thought was impossible. She’s hailed all over Equestria as a hero.” She wished she could conjure some enthusiasm for her friend, but all she could think about was how she’d been planning to kill said friend mere minutes before it happened. And then she’d tried to kill Fine Crime… “Pinkie?” Rainbow nudged her shoulder. “You okay?” Her tail slipped between her legs to rub against the scar hidden inside her hip. “I’m fine. Just… bad memories, y’know?” Polar’s head lowered, his face a mask of concern. “Was the damage that bad?” “Not in Canterlot or Ponyville,” Rainbow replied, rubbing her wing over Pinkie’s back. “But we had our own fights at the same time, and Pinkie’s… Well, she had the hardest time of us all.” “That’s not true at all,” Pinkie insisted. “Jet Set broke his horn, and you almost killed yourself flying into a tower hard enough to make it fall!” “But you’re the one who almost died from blood loss,” Rainbow added, her scowl directed backwards. Pinkie didn’t dare follow her gaze. She didn’t want to see the guilt on Fine’s face. “Wait a minute,” Fang said, her head cocking to one side. “Did you say she knocked a tower down by flying into it? I call bull.” Rainbow was too concerned with Pinkie’s wellbeing to add any pride to her next statement. “Clearly you’ve never seen a Sonic Rainboom.” Fang facehoofed. “How many crazy, unbelievable stories are you guys gonna throw at us?” Pinkie gave Rainbow a smile, letting her know she was okay, then turned to smirk at Fang. “You also didn’t believe we know Princess Luna, but then we exchanged letters with her and everything! And we’ve barely even started with the wild stories: pie fights with buffalo, the Grand Galloping Gala—” she shifted to a stage whisper, “—don’t believe the rumors, it’s not that grand.” Then returned to her normal, jovial tone, “rescued Princess Luna from Nightmare Moon, saw the Crystal Empire return, Rainbow did a Sonic Rainboom, and then an evil empress from thousands of years ago—” Rainbow raised her wing so it partially covered Pinkie’s face. “I think they get it. One extremely improbable event at a time, right?” “I’m not believing a word of it until we get some better proof,” Fang muttered. “Proof?” Polar rolled his eyes. “Did you not hear her words? And the feather. You can at least acknowledge that Nightmare Moon is no more.” Fang’s lip curled back and she snorted, but otherwise she offered no response. Pinkie maintained her smile, even as she wondered why Fang remained unconvinced. Perhaps something more would be needed to make her believe Luna was back? Just before the silence lingered into awkwardness, Rainbow spoke up. “So, uh… what was that oath you guys said back at the camp?” Polar paused briefly to do that increasingly familiar supplication with his cannons pressed to his muzzle. When he resumed walking, he said, “It was the ‘Oath of the Moon,’ to honor, serve, protect and submit to the princess. No thestral has uttered the oath since the Mother of All Night was imprisoned.” “Wow, that’s a really long time,” Pinkie said. “Why not?” Fang sighed. “It’s a punishment. When they failed to protect Princess Luna, our ancestors forbade any thestral from ever swearing the oath, as a sign of our race’s shame. We have honored that shame for thousands of moons.” Her next sentence came in a low, unpleasant tone. “Until last night.” Rainbow grinned and elbowed Polar in the ribs. “Wow, so you guys are pretty special, huh?” Pinkie chose the more exuberant route. “Wow, that’s amazing! Is every thestral in every tribe going to swear the oath now? Hey, we could have a big, inter-tribal ‘Oath of the Moon’ party! I can learn all about how thestrals have fun and bring all of it back to Equestria and you guys can learn about Equestria’s parties and we can exchange recipes for party food! It’ll be great!” Polar’s smile was strained. Fang, on the other hoof, had a deadpan frown. “Not gonna happen.” “Aww, why not?” Pinkie deflated with a pout. “Do thestrals not like parties?” “Don’t take it the wrong way, Pinkie.” Polar patted her shoulder. “We appreciate what you’re offering, really. It’s just that, even with the princess back, the tribes aren’t going to be in the mood for partying together. Most of them haven’t gotten along in ages.” Rainbow’s wings flapped in agitation. “You saying there’s a war going on?” Fang shrugged. “There’s not enough thestrals in any one tribe to have a ‘war.’ They’re more like strong disagreements that occasionally lead to bloodshed. Skirmishes.” Fine Crime spoke up. “Sera mentioned this to me. What’s the likelihood of us getting caught in the middle of one of your tribal feuds?” Fang, Polar and Rainbow all jumped, and Pinkie couldn’t help but laugh. “Did you forget he was there?” “Y-yeah, I kinda did.” Fang ran a hoof over her mane and cast Fine a nervous frown. “Where did you go?” A slow, wicked smile came to Fine’s lips. “I was here the whole time.” Fang scowled. “No way.” Pinkie’s laughter only grew stronger. “Yep, there the whole time! He’s really good at that kind of thing.” Polar coughed, catching everypony’s attention. “To answer your question: high. There was an attempted assassination of one of our Elders three days ago by the Stonewing Tribe, and the Night Eye Tribe has three combat wings stationed only a couple hours north of us. There’s always something going on.” Rainbow glanced between Fang and Polar, her brow furrowed. “Why are the tribes divided like that? Don’t you all, like, serve Luna?” “There are a lot of different interpretations on how best to do that,” Fang replied. “Well, maybe we can help you guys out,” Pinkie declared with a grin. “My friends and I are experts at the whole harmony thing. And now with Luna able to talk to you… Hold on.” She dropped to her haunches and let her forelegs vibrate. Polar watched with a bemused look. “How often is that going to happen?” “Until we get to Riptide, I think.” Pinkie hopped to her hooves as soon as the shaking stopped. “How far is it?” “A few more hours.” “Oh well, I guess I’ll deal with it until then.” They stood as a group. Everypony gazed upon purple and the faint scent of rot. It was like a wall, towering over the treetops by at least one-hundred-and-fifty feet. Thick, wide scales made up its skin, each one three times the length of a pony. A swath of destruction spread some eighty feet beyond the lifeless shape, following the body along its broad, curved path. Trees had been pulled up by the roots, boulders brushed aside like dust, and entire hills had been forced out of the way. Riptide. Formerly known as Jörmungandr, although Pinkie wouldn’t mention that to her friends. They’d ask questions. Fine was the first to approach the gargantuan corpse. He stared up at it, neck craned back, in silence. At her angle to him, Pinkie could just make out the moisture in his eyes, see the way he tried not to clench his jaw, observe the slightest of shakes in his knees. Her heart wanted to run to him, but her mind held her back. She kept her haunches planted firmly on the ground, just for the sake of resisting the urge. Not now. Not yet. Fang trotted forward. “You’re saying you have a friend who killed this?” She didn’t even bother to disguise the doubt in her words. Fluttershy shuddered. “I forgot how big it is.” “Yeah…” Rainbow hovered over to touch one of those rough scales. “Me too. Upper Crust is a lot more awesome than I gave her credit for, and I was already giving her a lot.” Nye paused by Fine. “Are you okay?” Blinking as if coming out of a trance, Fine took a deep breath and turned to Sera. “It looks pretty whole for eight months of death. No decomposition?” She shook her head. “Not here. There are such places at varying points up and down the body, I saw them myself.” Her face grew green. “It’s not a pretty site. The smell alone could kill you.” “Wild animals have been feasting on those spots,” Polar added. “Manticores, Oakenwolves, Rooks. Gilded Tail and his scouting wing saw a hydra dining on it down south.” “But not here,” Fang repeated. “It’ll get here eventually.” Fine’s expression was as hard as stone. “You said it crushed four tribes. Any survivors?” “A few,” Sera said. “I think a dozen in total? We took in two of them from the Cardinal Tribe.” “I would like to meet them.” Pinkie felt her heart give a nasty little twist. Slowly, while nopony was watching, she crept back into the trees. “Why would you want to meet them?” Sera asked, more confused than concerned. “Their situation is tragic, true, but I do not see why you would take a personal interest in the matter.” Fluttershy stood at his side. “Fine… You don’t have to—” “I know.” He sighed and turned his face away from her. “I know.” There was a long, awkward pause. Somepony coughed. Nye came to everypony’s rescue. “So… how are we getting over this thing?” Rainbow’s wings opened wide and gave a little flutter. “With these, of course.” “I’ll teleport across,” Fine said. There was a stiffness to his voice that most everypony either ignored or failed to notice. Pinkie let her mane fall flat as her heart did another of those nasty twists. Fang heaved a long, unpleasant sigh. “Right, now he can teleport. I’ll believe that when I see it.” She launched, making for the massive corpse. “This should be fun.” Polar turned a circle. “Where’d Miss Pie go?” “Pinkie?” Fluttershy copied his motion. “I don’t know. Oh, this is hardly the time for her to go sightseeing!” Pinkamina cringed; now what was she going to do? If they went searching for her… “You know Pinkie,” Fine said. “She’ll be along.” She blinked. Did he know? “But how is she going to cross this thing?” Sera asked as she hovered. Pinkamina noted that she couldn’t quite hold her position with her scarred wing. Rainbow chuckled as she lifted Nye into the air by his shoulders. “Don’t worry about that. Trust me, Pinkie plays with the impossible like Celestia plays with cake.” At Sera’s confused look she added, “Celestia really likes cake.” Pinkamina raised a hoof to her lips to stifle her giggle. “Are you certain? Maybe one of us should—” Fine’s words, cold and sharp, cut her off. “I’ll wait for her. I wanted a moment, anyway. You guys go on ahead.” Fluttershy’s ears pulled back. She reached out to rub a wing along his back. “Fine?” Pinkamina couldn’t see his expression when he looked at her. Probably a reassuring smile. She turned her face away and tried not to be annoyed. “I’ll be alright, Fluttershy. You go with them. I promise not to be long.” Fluttershy looked as though she wanted to argue, but after a few seconds of indecision she launched and followed the thestrals. Fang, hovering over Riptide’s motionless form, waved. “Try not to strain that horn of yours! I’m sure teleporting is tricky.” Pinkamina’s lips pursed. That thestral might cause trouble later. It was too bad, she really thought she and Fang could get along great if she’d just be more accepting. She pushed the concept out of her mind; there were more important things to focus on. Her gaze fell back to Fine, who stood alone as the last of the fliers disappeared from sight. She waited. It would be better that way. In case there were stragglers or thestrals too curious for their own good. Fine’s shoulders slumped. He approached the massive, scaled beast with dragging hooves. He stopped a breath away and just… stared. Then, slowly, he leaned his head forward until his horn touched it. And stood. Pinkamina waited for as long as she dared before walking back onto the path. She advanced slowly, trying to collect her thoughts. As she closed the distance, she saw that his eyes were closed. But that frown? It spoke volumes. “I said I wanted some time to myself.” She stopped a safe distance away, trying to offer a kind smile. “I know.” He opened one eye to study her. How grim he seemed. He closed it again and sighed. “So what are you doing here?” She took another step. “You said you wanted to be alone.” And another. “But… I don’t think it’s what you need.” And another. She was right next to him now. “I won’t talk if you don’t want me to. I just…” One more step, and she rested her neck across his withers. “I just thought somepony should be here.” They were quiet for some time. Pinkamina relaxed as she realized he wasn’t going to push her away. Part of her was overjoyed, but it was hard to celebrate small victories in the face of Fine’s melancholy. She said she wouldn’t speak, and she intended to keep that promise. Hopefully her presence would be enough. “Four tribes. How many thestrals make up a tribe?” She pursed her lips. Should she respond? “I guess it’s nothing compared to a major city like Las Pegasus. Or Delgiri.” He shifted beneath her. “Still… the tally just keeps growing.” Closing her eyes, she rubbed her cheek into his mane, trying not to enjoy the tickle of the hairs too much under the circumstances. “I’d tell you it’s not your fault, but you know that.” “I do.” He knocked his horn against the scale a couple times, each impact giving a quiet click. “I still feel responsible.” She smiled. “And that’s okay. I think. It’s not bad of you to think that way.” He shifted again. “You… really think so?” She opened an eye to find him looking back at her uncertainly. Her smile grew. “Didn’t you tell Nye that you were okay with your place in Equestria?” His frown deepened. “Yeah… but I’m hardly perfect.” Pinkamina wanted to debate that point so much, but instead she said, “You feel the weight of your choices. Could you imagine what it would be like if you made the same decision and didn’t care about the consequences? That would be… scary.” “I suppose so.” He looked at the giant scale before him once more. “It’s hard to be the ‘good’ bad guy sometimes.” “You’re not a bad guy, Fine.” His chuckle lacked conviction. “I think you’re biased.” “Me too.” She pulled back, regretting the loss of his warmth. She leaned sideways to look him in the eye, even as her long mane fell over one of her own. “Do you remember what you told me in the Crystal Caves? ‘Your life is worth far more than you know, no matter what you might have done in the past.’ ” “Oh, wow, you remember that.” He blushed and averted his gaze with a lopsided smile. “Of course I do.” It was one of the most important moments of her life. Didn’t he know that? “It applies to you too. You can make the tough decisions. You know what it’s like to be the bad guy, and you know how to not be that guy.” He kept his face turned away. His voice turned somber. “I struggled with that fight all my life.” “And you won.” She nuzzled his shoulder. “We helped you beat it. That’s why I’m so happy to see you so sad about this.” His ears perked. “Uh… what?” He turned to her with a befuddled expression. She offered a fresh smile. “You’re not the bad guy, Fine. You just got caught in a tough situation and had to make the call. It was the best call you could make. But you feel guilty because you’re not that boogiepony you’ve been so afraid of all your life.” He took in her words with a thoughtful frown. “And how do you know that this is what’s been bothering me?” She smirked and gave him a playful bop on the head. “Don’t question Pinkie Sense, buster.” “Yes’m.” He chuckled and rubbed his head. “I guess you’re right. I know I’ve been ‘normal’ for a year now, but sometimes…” Her smile came back. “Sometimes you wake up in the morning and wonder if you’ve gone back to being the butcher. It used to happen to me all the time. After Silma, that worry came back for a little while.” He turned to her. For the first time since she revealed her secret to him, she saw real emotions on his face. His eyes were downcast, his lips trembled, his legs tensed. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought there were tears in his eyes. Just the idea that he would open up those inner feelings left with a certain exhilaration… and trepidation. Her heart fluttering, she leaned forward and paid rapt attention. “H-how…” He shook his head. “When. When did you know for sure?” She cringed. Of all the questions… “It just came to me. One day, years after, I did something I thought I’d forgotten how to do: I made somepony smile.” He gazed into her eyes with mild confusion. “Really?” Pinkamina nodded, brushing her mane back so he could see her smile. “It’s the little things that help the most, y’know? A couple days later, the Cakes invited me into their home and I learned to live with the past. Now nopony would even guess.” Fine lowered his head, though his gaze didn’t leave hers. “But you never put the past behind you.” She didn’t answer. Telling him the truth, opening those old wounds… She’d refused to look back. Looking back reminded her of what she had once been. What she’d almost been again, if not for him. She didn’t want to face that. She didn’t have to. “I don’t want to live like that, Pinkie.” She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth against the pain in her heart. “Pinkamina.” His eyes narrowed, his mouth opened. She pressed her hoof to his jaw and closed it. “The mane is down. Pinkamina. You haven’t told ponies to stop calling you Fine Crime, have you?” Face scrunched up with guilt, he shook his head. “I really don’t think I deserve to lose the name yet.” “And when do you think that will happen, Verity Fine?” “I have no idea… Pinkamina Diane Pie.” They shared weak smiles. Pinkamina knew that no more needed to be said. That brought its own sense of melancholy, though, for it meant her little time alone with him would soon be over. Not losing her smile put a strain on her cheeks. If only there could be some way to make this last… Fine glanced at the vast wall of scales beside him. “They’re going to be wondering about us.” Too late. She took a step back and nodded. “Guess we better get over there.” He sat and gestured to her, still with that little smile. “Here, I’ll move us across.” Her heart did a little flip. “Y-you don’t have to do that.” He cocked his head, smile fading for a curious expression. “And just how do you expect to get over this thing on your own?” Pinkamina hesitated, her gaze drifting to the scales… but only to keep from lingering on his face. Her own was burning up. She knew she could get across Riptide’s corpse, and with ease. And she should probably try to maintain appearances. Still, Fine was offering. She licked her lips and nodded, doing her level best to keep her legs from shaking. Be still, her hummingbird heart! Once close enough, he pressed himself to her side. She gave the tiniest squeak and prayed he hadn’t overheard. Fine smirked. “I’ve never done this with you before, have I?” Yes, think about it that way. That was a much better conclusion for him to have. “D-don’t think so.” “Curious, I could have sworn we did it during our little scrap under Canterlot.” He shrugged as his horn shined red like his eyes. “Just relax. It’s like Twilight’s, only slower and quieter.” Smoke began to form around them, starting as a cloud on the floor before rising rapidly. Pinkamina braced against him, although it had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with an opportunity presented. Nopony could blame her for taking advantage of the moment, right? As her world grew dark, she recalled at the last second to bring her mane and tail up into its familiar curls. Then there was, for lack of a better word, a ‘shift.’ Pinkie likened it to having the very air around her replaced in an instant by some big, invisible vacuum. It came with an odd squeezing sensation that passed as quickly as it came, such that she questioned whether she’d felt it at all. The clouds began to fade into nothingness amidst cries of surprise. She found herself and Fine standing amongst the thestrals, more than a few backing away with alarmed expressions. Her cheeks burning, she carefully stepped away from Fine. She cast her gaze at them all with a big, toothy grin. “Hey, everypony! What’s up? We’re smoke monsters, rarrgh!” Nye, Rainbow and Fluttershy chuckled. A thestral – Long Breath, Pinkie recalled – jumped before Fine, gaping at the unicorn’s horn. “How in the name of the Tidal Falls did you do that?” The others gathered around, asking a range of questions and looking very impressed. Only one thestral stood apart: Fang, who watched the scene with a scowl. Pinkie considered smirking at her, but thought better of it. Instead she stepped back and let them verbally assault Fine. After all, none of them had seen unicorn magic before; Fine’s powers were probably the stuff of legends to them. Plus it gave her a moment to still her beating heart and cling to what little warmth she had left from his close proximity. “Pinkie? Are you alright?” She turned to Nye, who now watched her with a worried look. “Of course I am. Why, do I have something on my face? Oh, is it a wild thornberry?” He raised an eyebrow. “You just made that up.” She burst into giggles. “Yep!” No smile was returned. If anything, Nye appeared even more concerned. “For a moment there, you looked kinda sad.” Not for the first time, Pinkie thanked the sun above that she’d mastered the art of smiling. “Don’t be silly, Nye, that’s my job! What would I be sad about?” His brow furrowed. She fretted that he wouldn’t let it go, but then he shrugged and turned his attention to the mob around Fine. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Fine had backed against the wall of scales, his eyes darting about wildly at the crush of thestrals pressing in on him. The poor fellow looked like an animal in a cage with nowhere to run. She wondered if he would teleport again to escape. Maybe she should run interference… “Everypony, please!” Fluttershy dropped into the crowd, landing between them and him. “He’s not comfortable with so many ponies around. I’m sure Fine would be happy to answer your questions, but please, give him space?” She had that sweet, hopeful look to her. The kind of look that made a pony’s aggression and anger crumble, leading them all to nod their humble acceptance and retreat. She beamed and waved. “Thank you, everypony!” Fine gave her a look of unbridled appreciation, pride… and something else. Pinkie bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Pain was better than jealousy, right? “Alright, what’s the trick?” She turned to find – who else? – Fang watching her. “Trick?” “Yeah, trick.” Fang turned her peering gaze to Fine and Fluttershy. “Is there some kinda smoke bomb or something? And how did you two get over the Great Serpent?” Pinkie giggled, both at Fang’s ideas and her frustration. “There’s no trick, silly filly! Fine just used his magic to move us from one place to another. Easy peasy.” Fang snorted and turned away. “Alright, don’t tell me. I’ll figure it out eventually.” It took all of a second for Pinkie to decide to follow her, moving at a trot until she could look the thestral in the eye. “What’s wrong, Nibbler? Why don’t you believe in magic?” “It’s Fang. Magic is a gift from the Mother, and I refuse to believe that you ponies are associated with her.” Fang turned her upturned muzzle away from Pinkie. “I’m not going to trust anything any of you do or say.” Despite her earlier annoyance, Pinkie couldn’t help but feel disappointed. “But I thought you liked us. I mean, you were all smiles and laughing with us the other day. What happened?” Fang turned on her with a snarl, and she promptly jumped back. “I was okay with you until you started abusing Luna’s holy name. You’re all scam artists! You might have thrown the leather over the elder’s eyes, but I’m not falling for your flashy lights, colored feathers and random scribbling.” She pressed a hoof to Pinkie’s chest with enough force to make her stumble back a few more steps. “I’m going to find out what you ponies are really up to, and when I do you’re going to have every thestral in the Wilds gnashing for your blood.” Pinkie watched her go, ears folded and shoulder slack. “B-but… I wanted to share baking recipes.” When Fang offered no response, she merely bowed her head in defeat. She rubbed her chest dejectedly, but Fang’s words hurt a lot more than her hoof. “Do not let her get to you, Miss Pie.” She looked up. Sera stood at her side, offering a motherly smile. “Fang doubts. I knew some would. We’ve been set in our ways for a long time.” Pinkie rubbed her eyes and nodded. “I understand, I guess. But Fang was with us all that time. I didn’t think she’d still doubt us.” The elder turned her gaze to Fang, who skulked on the path ahead. “Time will help her see the night. She may need a little push, but she’ll get there. Just like the others.” Something about the way she said that caught Pinkie’s attention. “How many do you think will be like her?” Sera pursed her lips and didn’t meet Pinkie’s gaze. After a moment, she started walking – still west. “Come, we still have a few hours before dusk. We should be able to reach the tribe tomorrow night at this rate.” Pinkie watched her go, a sinking feeling in her stomach. She cast a glance at the others, who were chatting with the thestrals even as they started moving. Fine cast a subtle smile and a wink her way. She could only smile back.