Slowly, Azure walked up the stairs, her ears homing in on every little sound, striving to paint a picture in her mind. Everything, from the heavy rain pounding against the walls, to the ponies talking on the floor below and, slowly, the picture came into focus.
‘Ok, door on the left, wall 8 feet in front of me, and the room I’m assigned to should be on the right, and... aha!’, she thought as she finally stumbled into the room and onto the welcoming bed, not caring in the slightest that she was getting the bed soaking wet.
‘Nice to be able to rest in a bed for once and not some forsaken cave or ruin in some inhospitable landscape.’
As she lay there enjoying the bed, a set of hooves passed close by her room for a moment; they stopped by her room, as if they wanted to come in, before moving on. For some reason, she thought of the mare that she had confronted in the common room. ‘Probably not my best move coming in and picking a fight as soon as I get back home’, she thought with a frown.
‘Too tired to worry about these kinda things any more, time for me to hit the hay.’
And with that, she laid back and surrendered to the dreams always waiting in the back of her mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The leaves brushed up against Azures side as she pushed her way through the jungle in her adventurer outfit. A red mare was trailing behind her, similarly garbed.
“Hey hurry up slowpoke! Or am I going to be the one to get the treasure first?” she teased her companion.
“Azure!! I wouldn't be behind you if you hadn't upset that wasp nest!” Sunny called out.
“Sure sure! Excuses excuses! You're just upset you're not as awesome at adventuring as me.”
“Hey you tak-”
“Sun? Uh hello? Sun? This isn’t funny Sun!!”
“Boo!” *eek!*”
“Some adventurer you are Azure, scared of little old me.” Sun claimed as she stuck her tongue out at Azure.
The playful banter continued to pass between the mares as they hacked their way through the undergrowth, slowly making their way towards their destination.
“So what's the deal with this temple Azure?”
“The temple of Azeroth, Ancient God of Balance. It’s said to hold a treasure able to grant any wish.”
“Any wish you say? So.. whatcha going to wish for then?
“Me? I don’t really have a wish. i guess my wish is just to be the first to get it, you know fame and fortune, stuff like that, Sun.”
“Geez you're so boring!” Sunny claimed as she gave Azure a push with her flank. “You need to think bigger you silly filly! How about… a castle made of ice cream!”
“Wouldn't that melt?” Azure asks.
Sunny licked her lips before responding. “Not if I eat it first!” she says for a giggle.
“Well that's all fine for you I guess. But I want something lasting after all this traveling. I mean look at these pathetic blades! Dull after only a few days! Last time I’m buying from that smith.” She said, waving the dulled machetes around.
“Last adventure Azure. Remember?” Sun punctuated her sentence with a kiss. “After this we agreed we have to retire. We have plenty of money after all the ‘adventures’ afterall”
“Awww! But I love our adventures! They add.. excitement to things! What would we do with ourselves? We would go crazy in under a year and you know it.”
“Please. you’re already crazy! But you’re my crazy.” Sun said lovingly as she nuzzed her partner. “Anyway, if we wanna retire we need to keep movin. Can't keep that treasure waiting can you?” And once again they were hacking their way through the jungle.
Soon the Temple of Azeroth loomed upon the horizon.
Weathered and green from the jungles busy reclaiming the ancient center of worship, the temple certainly wasn't lacking in size or mystery, Azure reflected. The sheer amount of volcanic stone and glass making it look more like a fragile heart of the jungle than the fortress of a lost faith that it was.
As she gazed upon the massive construct, she felt Sun come up beside her.
“Huh, how is the glass still in place I wonder?” “Must be enchanted.”
“But for what purpose do you need that much glass?” Azure added seemingly to herself.
“Say something Azy?”
“Huh? Oh no nothing.’
“What are we waiting for then? Let's go!”
And with that, Sunny was off running down the hill with Azure chasing after her.
“Hahaha! Who’s the slowpoke now Azure!” She teased as she ran through the broken entryway.”
“Wait! Don't run int-*zip!* Twange!*”
“LOOK OUT!
“Whoa!” Sun cried out as she dived under a crescent axe that slid out of the way with nary a sound, chopping off the edge of her helmet.
“Azure rushed up to Sunny with a worried look on her face. “SUN! YOU ALRIGHT?!” she cried as she looked over the hyperventilating sun.
“Y-yeh. I-I-I’m ok. Also horse apples! That was my favorite helmet!”
Azure rolled her eyes at her mare friend. “Oh come on we can always get you another one. Better half a helmet then half a you after all!”
“Two of me. Now that’s a funny idea doncha think?”
”Oh can it you. I swear you're going to be the death of me one of these days. Now what have you learned again?”
“Don't run into an open door in a spooky ruin?” She replies sheepishly as she rolls the slice of her helmet along the floor.
“Close enough I guess, just don’t run off without looking ahead ok?”
“Bu-But Treasure! I wanna see it!’ she whined as she stomped her hoof into the stonework again.
*SNICK!*
“EEP!”
“How about you step AWAY from the trap before you get cut in half Sun? Sound like a good idea?”
“Spoilsport”
“What was that?
“Nothing!”
I thought so, now let's get going before you set off anymore traps.”
Slowly With Azure taking the lead, they climbed higher and higher into the odd temple.”Hey Azy, why does this temple go up instead of down like all the others we’ve been in?”
The followers of Azeroth believed in balance in all aspects supposedly. I’m guessing that it has something to do with the fact that most temple descend, so they most likely thought that their temple had to lead up to balance things out. Just be on the lookout for traps ok? Don't wanna get caught unaware ok?
…
“Uh Sun? You there?”