//------------------------------//
// Encounter 
// Story: The War of Equestria 
// by rainbowtiger00 
//------------------------------//

The flame danced before him. A twisting pinnacle of light and heat. It literally lived inside of him. Inside of every dragon, there was a heart like no other. One that was built to breathe fire. 

The fire could be out of control very quickly. But with training, one could use it. A fire could help with many things. What had to happen, was a mental process. All he had to do was inhale and imagine a flame coming out to engulf the object.

Then as he exhaled, he had to imagine the receiver. The paper would then be delivered in a matter of seconds. Fire could also be made to create gems. Gems were puzzling things. According to Twilight Sparkle, they were made out of a combination of minerals, and elements. Heat and pressure used to long ago be the main force of creating them. They were much more beautiful when they were made that way.

Tasted much better too. But then greedy Unicorns came and changed the gems. Made them create themselves with magic by using a spell. Now they were littered around Equestria, their value lost. The simple beauty that they once owned was no longer there.

Neither was the delicious taste. Spike sat at a crystal table in his new room. He was sitting on a stool before a rock that was soon to be a jewel. The rock was sitting before a flame and was pinched before a pair of metal pincers. Heat with the flame.

Pressure with the metal pincers. This was the closest thing to a real gem that he could have. Twilight Sparkle came in holding several books. "Spike, what are you doing in here?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Did you finish your chores?" Spike glanced over at her. "I finished them, Twilight. I just wanted to grow this jewel." Twilight Sparkle came over to the rock and squinted.

“Uh, you do know that you can ask Rarity to get you one made from a spell?" Twilight Sparkle asked, her tone of voice suggesting that she thought he was being rather silly. Spike sighed and fiddled with his claws. No matter how much he explained, Twilight wouldn't get it. How could she? 

She was not a dragon. Spike went back to gazing at the flame as Twilight Sparkle placed the books onto the desk. It wasn't hard to believe that long ago, ponies used this to survive. Some textbooks claimed that the first dragons gifted ponies with flame, in return for giving them friendship. But that had come out of an old foal and filly book. 

Hardly worth looking at, according to Twilight Sparkle, his friend, and Honorary big sister. But boy, could she be bossy at times. Like now as she rolled her eyes and scooted the books off the table. “Spike, you are wasting your time. The jewel Rarity makes, are no different than the ones you make.” 

Spike shook his head. “You don't eat jewels. You wouldn't know the difference.” Twilight Sparkle sighed heavily. She was getting annoyed. 

“Still, I don't know the difference, because there is no difference!” Some pony cleared their throat. Twilight Sparkle glanced over at the doorway to see Princess Cadence standing there. “Am I interrupting, anything?” Spike shrugged. 

“Just Twilight looking for the quickest way to do something.” Twilight Sparkle glared at him. “Being quick is akin to being orderly. Being orderly is akin to being on time. Being on time is akin to.” 

Spike waved a claw at her. “Is akin to getting good things, I know. But so is patience. And I'm willing to wait for this to grow. For however it takes.” 

Twilight shook her head. “What did you want, Cadence?”  Princess Cadence smiled at her warmly. "I was just wondering if you could show me the tree of Harmony. I've never seen it before." 

Princess Cadence suddenly crouched down and smiled. Twilight Sparkle quickly crouched down as well. Together they chanted. "Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves, and give a little shake!" 

As they chanted, they both did the appropriate moves. Spike rolled his eyes. "You always do that little chant." He got down from the stool on all fours. Then he stood on two feet and headed out the door. 

"Hey, Cadence. Tree of Harmony is this way." Princess Cadence smiled and followed him. Twilight Sparkle came behind. Spike glanced at Princess Cadence. 

She had gotten slightly taller, and looked more regal. Her hair was in a high curled ponytail, held together by a jeweled pin. Beads of crystal hung from her ears and ended at her neck. She was wearing a long turquoise blue dress with a white train. Painted purple and pink butterflies were on the train. 

Silver shoes with purple gemstones clicked on the crystal floor. A pendant of deep green rock hung at her neck. Princess Cadence had changed. Twilight Sparkle had not. Twilight Sparkle was still the same old Twilight Sparkle. 

Nothing new was appearing. That was fine with him. To him,  the change of Princess Cadence had happened all too fast. Twilight Sparkle was the only thing that was staying the same. Which was good. Everything else was changing. Flurry Heart, Princess Cadence's daughter, was now in elementary school. She was getting good grades.

They were in the Castle of the Two Sisters. It had been ten years since Lord Tirek came and destroyed things. After they had opened the chest and defeated him, Princess Celestia suggested that Twilight fix up the Castle of the Two Sisters, and claim it for her own. Ponies had changed, so had friendships. 

Ponyvillie had gotten bigger over the time. Some parts of the Everfree forest had been cleared away, a railroad built all the way to the Castle of the Two Sisters.

The bridge fixed, and secured, the Castle remodeled, repaired and cleaned. Rarity was living in Ponyvillie still. Her business had no need to move, she was living next to the princess of friendship herself. Ponies came to her, eager to buy dresses from a pony that hoof made the princess's dresses. Rarity had fallen for a male designer in the Crystal Empire, named Nosam.

He was a Pegasus, yet he was able to make beautiful dresses. The designer created dresses for not only Princess Cadence, but also all the other female nobles of the Crystal Empire. Saddle Arabia gave him his fabrics and in return, he designed dresses for them as well. Canterlot nobles were thinking about trying them. Twilight Sparkle's parents happily bought some of his work.

Some of his work was even bought by Griffins. Applejack still ran an Apple farm. It was much bigger, and better now. Like good Cider, it ripened with age. Granny Smith was still alive, but she was now in a nursing home.

Applejack and Big Mac gave her care packages, and plenty of mail and every week. She wasn't lonely at all. Big Mac now lived with a light pink and purple Earth mare named Angel Skies. They lived on the very edges of Manhattan. On those outskirts, they raised orphans, orchards, and pigs. 

It was a successful business, but the lifestyle was hard. Not saying, however, that is was without its rewards. Apple Bloom was now living in Appaloosa. She was happily married to Tucker and had two foals and two fillies. Her orchard was getting to be pretty big. 

Pinkie Pie now ran the Sugar cube corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had retired to Trottingham, content on living a peaceful retirement, running a tavern. Pinkie Pie visited every month. The twins helped Pinkie Pie out, creating several new sweets to add to the variety. Cheese Sandwich had moved in, and taken over the party business.

He and Pinkie Pie were courting. Rainbow Dash was now the principal of a flight school. She had been a Wonderbolt for one year. Then she dropped out after finding that she was becoming more like Lighting Dust and less like Rainbow Dash. Soarin dropped out as well.

He and Rainbow Dash had been seen together quite often. Although they didn't do anything to prove it, the rumor was that they were dating.

He himself had changed. He was about the size of a teenage pony. His tail had grown so that it was dragging on the floor. Wings had grown in five years back. Twilight Sparkle had proudly taught him how to fly the day he got them. 

Teeth turned into fangs, and his head had gotten slightly longer. Fluttershy had also changed. She and Discord had gotten much closer over the years. Discord found that he held feelings for Fluttershy, and Fluttershy felt the same. They dated for five years. 

The Princesses and the other main six were concerned at first but then accepted it. After the five years, they got married. It wasn't a big celebration, just a small ceremony in the woods. But to the group of friends and the Princesses, it was beautiful. Spike had made a personal discovery that day. 

It was about Scootaloo. The feelings he had harbored for Rarity were long gone, replaced by growing feelings for the almost adult Scootaloo. She had noticed how sad he was during the period where he was crushed after seeing Rarity walk away with Nosam. Spike had enjoyed her presence, her blunt humor matching his own. The desire to help in some way, to be a star. 

That was shared as well. Even though Scootaloo did have a temper, she had gotten better at controlling it over the years. She now had long, strong wings. She had gone and dyed the edges of her beautiful purple mane the color of her mentor's coat as a way of honoring her. It added a wild side to her personality. 

Scootaloo was turning into an adept flier, but that meant that she did plenty of stunts that involved crashing. Ever since he suggested using fire, Scootaloo pulled him into the stunts. Her excuse? He had wings and fire. Two things that were necessary for performing her death defying stunts. 

She planned to go to Rainbow Dash's school when she got enough money. Learn enough stunts to become a champion scooter flier. But there was also her cutie mark. Her cutie mark showed her talent of advising young foals and fillies with their cutie marks. Spike had suggested that she combine the two. 

Be the champion scooter flier, but also as well, involve herself with foal and filly lives. Mentor them, show them the way to success. Scootaloo thought it was a good idea. Twilight had spoken to him about him being with Scootaloo. She knew that the feelings that were growing inside his heart were different than the ones for Rarity. 

While it was okay for now since they were only friends, if things were to progress into a relationship, they were going to have to talk. Scootaloo would have to think about the backlash from the society that would come with it. And the very real possibility that any children would be half pony and half dragon. It was something that he would be willing to pay. But would Scootaloo? 

They would only find out if Scootaloo held feelings for him. The change was good and bad. But there was a very disturbing new thing.
Despite the myth that Dragons loved war, most of them preferred to keep far away from any war. There was a rumor that Dragons had a chemical reaction in them that warned them when a war or a battle was about to begin. He had the feeling.

And for the past ten years, the feeling got stronger and stronger. Only two problems stopped him from following the instinct and getting himself and those he cared about far away. One that Twilight didn't believe him at all.

And why should she? The Griffon kingdom was at peace with the Crystal Empire and Equestria. Lord Tirek was in Tartarus. Queen Chrysalis was in the badlands far away, weakened and unable to hurt them. King Sombra was most likely in pieces. The second reason was that lots of good change were happening.

Twilight just could not see any threat. So Spike saw therapy for the feeling and mostly ignored it. But today, the feeling was at boiling point. Maybe that was why he stared at flames and pondered their usefulness. So why did he get these fearful feeling that he had to get everybody that he cared for out?

Was the rumor true? No one could know. Spike came to the end of the hallway. A large, fancy door was at the end. Light purple with jewels in it.

Spike dragged it open with a clawed hand. Walking inside, he led Princess Cadence and Twilight Sparkle into the cave where the Tree of Harmony lived. But as his clawed feet touched the cold rock, he felt the fear hit him in the gut. His tail began to shake violently. Trembling from head to toe, he slowly walked toward the tree.

Twilight was talking to Princess Cadence about the tree. Spike stiffened suddenly. A teenage dragon's nose was very acute. He could smell special scents. Emotions had scents, as well as ponies he knew.

Sadness was a damp, rank smell. Anger was a smoky, fiery, burning smell. Happiness was a nice smell of bread in the kitchen. Love smelled like a sweet perfume. And fear smelled like a sharp, toxic gas.

Friends had a spicy smell of cinnamon. Strangers smelled like coffee. Enemies smelled like trash. Twilight's smell smelled like a fresh, comfortable smell of mint. Scootaloo's smell smelled like a spicy lavender.

A very good smell. Spike could smell everything that was normal, yet. There were two smells in the cave that meant two ponies were there that shouldn't be. He sniffed loudly. The first smell was of an enemy.

He crouched. Then the second smell was a friend. His eyes narrowed. "Twilight?" Twilight Sparkle stopped talking to Princess Cadence.

"Yes, Spike?" She asked. Spike turned to her, his eyes scanning for a possible threat. "Do you sense any odd activity with the Tree of Harmony?" Twilight at first rolled her eyes and glanced at the tree.

But then she frowned and looked at it harder. "There... is some sort of pulse. Like some huge spell just took place." Spike whirled suddenly as a groan sounded out.

He trotted behind the tree. There, on the ground, was something that shouldn't be there. When he went to the other world, where humans walked around in a building called a school, he saw what human ponies looked like. But, this was different.

It was a male human. His skin and hair color weren't on the normal color scheme. The hair was a mixture of black, red, and gray. It was about chin length. His skin was tanned from days in the sun.

His shirt was made from light brown leather and sheep wool. Pants were a lovely shade of blue. A belt made from a furry hide. But what stood out was the crystal weapon that laid beside him. Spike's nostrils twitched. The smell of cinnamon floated up to his nostrils. The human moaned again. 

“Mm?” Spike turned to call Twilight but stopped. An ear twitched. “I win! I win! 

I win! I win! I win!” The triumphant shouts came from a voice that was ragged and torn. The smell of an enemy slammed into his nostrils. 

“Twilight!” He called. “Run back up to the castle. Get Princess Celestia!” Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth to protest, but Spike wasn't listening. 

He caught the sight of something behind her. A shadow form that was aiming a crossbow. At Twilight. Spike didn't get a good look at the thing. All he knew was that in one moment, the loudest roar of anger that he ever heard echoed throughout the cave. 

The next, that he was leaping at the thing.




Jonathan groaned as his head ached. His eyes opened slowly, and the cold crystal ground came into focus. "What in the nine pits of." Suddenly, a very loud roar sounded out, cutting him off. He jumped up quickly, only for him to wince and shrink to the ground. 

Every single part of his body ached. Badly. No broken bones, but it sure did hurt. Slowly, he got up from the ground again, stopping when he felt a flare of pain. Then he noticed that there was a tree next to him. 

But not any tree that he knew. It was light purplish blue, and it was warm to the touch. There were no leaves on the tree. But on its branches were six gemstones. Those six gemstones looked exactly like the ones that were on his necklace. 

His necklace! Jonathan grabbed it and looked at it. It had changed. Instead of being a pony, it had turned into a human female. It still had a tail, born, and wings. 

The gemstones had changed places. One was each on her wrists. One was each on her ankles. One was on her head, and the last was worn as a choker. Jonathan looked at it warily. 

Was it going to do anything weird again? Two loud screams sounded out, both female. Something flew into the tree. He glanced up at the tree, only for him to stare in shock. A lavender pony with a horn, a star on her flank, and wings was sitting in the tree. 

She had a dark purple mane and tail with a white and pink stripe running through both. To say that he was surprised was an understatement. His halberd was lying near him. He glanced at it, then while he watched the pony, and reached for it with a trembling hand. Slowly his hand grabbed the cool halberd. 

Another loud roar sounded out, and with it, a triumphed scream. "I win! I win! I win! I win! 

I win!" Jonathan flinched. Then his brow furrowed. Something seemed familiar about this. Then a dark shape crashed into the wall in front of him. 

It was the same color as the creatures that attacked Argon and Lena. Jonathan yelled and rolled back. He quickly got to his feet, ignoring the pain. The creature moved, and got onto its feet. It looked like a human male, with a crossbow. 

It had the same eye color as the other creature. It even repeated the same word over and over as well. "I win! I win! I win! 

I win! I win!" Something landed on top of a wall nearby. It was purple and green with scales, teeth, claws, and wings. It seemed to be like a lizard. 

A big lizard. Jonathan felt his heart pounding in fear. The pony saw him first. "You!" It cried out. 

"Are you friend or foe?" The pony's words caught the attention of the other two. Jonathan stared for one full second. Then he did what anyone would do if a pony started talking to him. He screamed. 

"Ahh!" Jonathan scrambled away. Ponies were not supposed to talk. At all. An another voice sounded out. 

"Twilight! You scared him!" The pony apparently named Twilight, turned to the lizard. "I scared him?"

It asked incredulously. 

Disbelief was etched all over her muzzle. Jonathan had run to the middle of the cave. The tree had the same star that was on the pony, on it. A silver object with a purple jewel was lying on the ground.
From the way it was lying on the ground, Jonathan supposed that whoever it belonged to, had taken flight. 

The lizard flew in front of him. "Human!" It roared. "What do you know of this creature?"

Jonathan felt his head began to ache. 

So the lizard talked as well? "I, I don't know much. Only that it attacked me and my friends." Twilight jumped, and swirled into the air. She glared at the creature. 

Her wings flapped in the air. "The human has friends?" She asked, her gaze softening. The realization hit him in the gut. "My friends!" 

He cried out. "They are in trouble! I gotta go help them!" He looked around at the ceiling for the top of the pit that he had fallen into, only to realize that he was no longer in the pit. "What? 

Where am I?" At that moment, the creature came from behind the tree and snarled. "I win! I win! I win." 

Twilight snarled at it. "Yes, yes. We get it!" She reared back in the air. Her horn glowed with magic. 

Jonathan stared as the magic from her horn flew onto the creature in a purple glowing streak. The creature shrieked a horrible shriek of pain. Jonathan rushed at the creature and slashed at it with his halberd. The creature barely dodged it. Quickly, it punched him in the cheek. 

Hard. Jonathan fell onto the crystal ground. He could taste blood in his mouth. He got up from his side, and onto his back. He blocked the creature with his halberd's handle as it lunged at him. The crossbow was dropped onto the ground. 

The handle caught it in the chest, and it spat at him. "I win! I win! I win! I win! 

I win!" Jonathan kicked the creature and rolled onto his side. He ended up on top of the creature. It snarled. Jonathan pushed the halberd on the creature, trying to trap it. 

The creature kicked him, sending Jonathan flying. Jonathan fell onto his back onto the crystal floor. He breathed hard as the air was swooshed out of his lungs. The creature got up and wielded the halberd. With a clumsy move, it tried to slice it down onto him. 

The blade missed him by inches, the tip lightly grazing his cheek. A drop of blood oozed from the wound. Jonathan rolled away and got on his feet. The creature lunged at him again. Jonathan dodged the slice and grabbed the handle of the halberd. 

With a few quick steps, he twisted around, wrenching the halberd from the creature's grasp. The creature snarled. Jonathan walked around it slowly, in case it lunged again. Twilight threw another blast of magic at it, causing another shriek of pain. The lizard's tail swept across the floor and knocked the creature off its feet. 

The creature growled and grabbed Jonathan's legs, knocking him down again. This time, the creature made sure he couldn't get back up onto his feet. He could see the lizard out of the corner of his eye. It crouched down. Its tail twitched twice. 

Then with another roar, the lizard lunged at the creature. The lizard knocked it off of him and sent the creature flying into the tree. With a painful smack, it flopped onto the ground, stunned. The halberd landed next to it. Twilight flew down in front of it and turned to the lizard. "Spike! 

What is that thing?" The lizard appropriately named Spike, turned to her. "I don't know." Jonathan picked himself up from the floor. The creature got up dizzily and continued its repeated words over and over. 

“I win! I win! I win.” It was cut off, however, by the entrance of another pony. “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” 

The overly loud voice rang throughout the cave as an another pony flew in. This one was dark blue, with a night sky blue mane and tail. The pony's mane and tail floated in the air as if pushed by an invisible breeze. A spotted patch of dark fur was on her flank. Along with a design of the moon. 

She too had a horn and a pair of wings. The look, however, on her face was truly one that would strike fear into the heart of the wildest creature. With a loud crack, she landed onto the crystal floor and aimed a bolt of light blue magic at the creature. It dodged the blast and picked the crossbow back up. With a swift stroke, it sent a crossbow bolt flinging toward the pony's head. 

A silvery blue shield popped up and blocked it quickly. Twilight grinned at the sight of her. “Princess Luna!” Spike looked at Princess Luna quizzically. “Where did you come from?” 

Princess Luna jabbed a hoof at the silver object. Spike glanced at it. “Well, that explains where Princess Cadence went.” Princess Luna took in a deep breath. Spike and Twilight had the sense to cover their ears. 

Jonathan was not so lucky. “INSOLENT CREATURE! YOU SHALL REGRET THE NIGHT YOU CHOSE TO HARM MY FRIENDS AND NIECE!” Skillfully, she lifted the creature up in the air with a silvery aura and slammed it onto the ground. Hard. 

Jonathan had to appreciate the fact that if she wanted to be loud, she was most certainly loud. The creature got up again, though more slowly. 

The crossbow had fallen to the ground, and so the creature slashed the halberd at Princess Luna. Jonathan quickly lunged forward and grabbed the handle again. Jonathan turned to the talking ponies. “One of you talking ponies, get ready to fire a magic blast!” Princess Luna frowned and opened her mouth. 

Jonathan interrupted her. “You are only going to get one shot with this!” Princess Luna's mouth closed and she got ready. 

Jonathan stared into the hate filled lime green eyes of the creature. It snarled at him with all the hatred it could muster. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the cold damp cave air. Then as Princess Luna fired a beam of silvery blue magic, he whirled the creature into the fiery beam. It gave out the most horrendous scream he had ever heard.

The creature disintegrated in the heat of the beam. When the heat of the beam faded away, all that was left was a smoking scorch mark on the ground. Jonathan breathed in and out, slowly. Twilight was panting hard but was smiling slightly. Spike was scanning the area for other potential enemies.

Princess Luna stared at the scorch mark, then looked at him. Jonathan felt his limbs weaken. The exhaustion from the shock and physical exercise caught up to him. His vision blurred, and he slumped forward. Twilight gave a surprised gasp and ran towards him.

Jonathan felt himself collapse onto the ground. He landed on his back. Twilight's head blocked his blurry vision. His limbs lost all feeling in them. "Hey, are you all right?" She asked, her voice fading away. Jonathan blacked out.


A top spun upon the floor. It had been painted with animals in the motion of running so that when it spun, it seemed like the animals were running. The majority of animals on the top were ponies. A string of glass beads spun around with it. The pattern of the colors was in the same pattern as a rainbow.

The spinning top clattered onto the floor as the momentum that caused it to spin ran out. Jonathan clapped his tiny hands together in enjoyment. His giggles echoed through the caravan. A red, black, and gray-haired female came beside him. "You like the top don't you, Johnathan?"

The one-year-old nodded. The female's head turned as someone shouted her name. "Kendra!" Kendra walked over to the entrance. A black haired female with bright green eyes was standing outside, holding an apple pie in one hand, and her two-year-old son, in the other.

Leaves were unfurling in all their glory, as the heat of summer fell upon the land. The mountains could be seen in the distance. The sun was setting over them and if one looked closely enough, one could see Split Mountain. Split Mountain was exactly what the name said. A lonely mountain, that had split into two halves, overlooking the town. No one knew why it had split.

Legends and rumors ran aplenty about it. The only one that was known to be true was the fact that Split Mountain had the ancient ruins of a castle on it. Kendra smiled at her best friend. "Trisha! It's good to see you!" The two friends embraced. 

The two-year-old burbled. “How is little Argon doing?” Trisha grinned and kissed the top of the boy's head. “Tell Kendra what you lost today, sweetie.” Argon opened his mouth. 

His front tooth was missing. Kendra squealed. '”Oh, he lost his first tooth! How wonderful!” Argon closed his mouth and hugged his mother with both of his tiny arms. 

Trisha laughed. “Oh, you shy thing,” Kendra smiled at him. “So, tonight the sprites are going to come and give you sweets in exchange for your tooth, eh?” She asked Argon while winking at Trisha. 

Argon nodded. “Where is Felix?” Trisha glanced at the nearby woods. “Off hunting with your husband, Gelasio. Where is Angina?” 

Kendra rolled her eyes. “Off somewhere. I swear that girl spends days in the woods and returns like it has been only hours. I can't make it out.” Another woman with flowing red, black, and gray hair, walked out from behind the caravan. 

A necklace the shape of a pony, with many jewels, was on her neck. She seemed to be lost in thought. “Angina!” Trisha called. Angina looked at Trisha with a surprised look. 

“Trisha?” Angina embraced Trisha and patted Argon on the head. “What are you doing here?” Trisha lifted the pie in one hand. “Um, tonight we planned to have a dinner together?” 

Angina's eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Really? I thought we planned to have that next week.” Kendra shook her head, bemused. “Uh, Angina. 
It is next week.” Angina blinked. “It is?” She asked sheepishly. Trisha laughed. 

“For a girl that was at the top of our class, and is known in the town for her fine cooking and kindness, you really lose track of time.” Angina uncomfortably shrugged, one hand nervously rubbing her necklace. “I'll get better one day.” A cold wind blew across the ground, as the sky darkened from the sun slipping behind the mountain. Trisha shivered. 

“Brr! For fall, it's rather cold this year.” Kendra nodded worriedly. “I hope that doesn't mean that we will get another big snow.” Kendra waved them inside. 

Jonathan glanced at the two women. “Auntie!” He cried out, his tiny arms waving above his head. Angina smiled and picked him up. “Oof, you've gotten bigger Jonathan.” 

Angina grunted as she heaved the chunky one year old onto her hip. Jonathan grabbed at her necklace. Tugging at it slightly, he laid his head on her side. A smile was on his face. Kendra sighed softly, only loud enough for Trisha to hear. 

Trisha glanced at her. “Kendra, how do you manage to live so far from the town?” Kendra looked at Angina. “Sometimes, even I wonder. It would be nice to have the security that the town provides, but.” 

Kendra looked at the smiling face of her younger sister as she tickled Jonathan. “Angina just loves this wilderness. No neighbors for miles on end. However much I would enjoy to have them around, Angina prefers to not have to deal with them. She is just shy. 

It's a wonder that she got to know you, Trisha.” Trisha giggled softly, then put a soft hand on Kendra's shoulder. “Kendra, if you ever want to have a place to stay in the town, just come by and say so. Felix and I will be happy to let you stay for awhile. And if you need any help, Elder Onyx Ashstone would give you guys the shirt off his back.” 

Kendra smiled at her. “I know.” She looked at her laughing son. “But right now, it would be best if we stayed here.” Jonathan laughed again, a chubby hand clenched around the necklace.
​