Extremely Loud, Intensely Bright, Drastically Tense, Exceedingly Tight

by h4ns

Into the Fire

Chapter 70: Into the Fire

It had been twenty minutes. Scratch that, twenty-five. Hell, it may well have been days since the salamander had let known its hidden ability to the group, allowing Bryce and the two pegasi enough light to see their way through the dark inside of the cave. Regardless of the time since then, Thunderlane knew one thing for certain: Walking through a dark, damp, unending cave with only the use of your legs was boring.

To the slate grey stallion, this experience served to add to his long list of why flying was superior to walking. No matter how much you tried to polish it the answer Thunderlane would give was the same: Walking. Was. Boring...

Not only had that, but his long walk through the cave, coupled with his run into the bog made his legs hurt. The kind of hurt one felt when they used muscles that hadn't been worked in months, maybe even years.

But Thunderlane refused to let the pain show through. He knew that if Bryce saw him show just the slightest gritting of teeth, or a single bead of sweat he would pounce him like a timber wolf on a baby rabbit. Sure, he may have saved Rumble from drowning, and from the hydra. But just because Bryce had saved them both in the latter example that didn't mean he had done it to save them both. Rumble, maybe. Him, no way. If it had been the other way around, if he were drowning in place of Rumble he was sure Bryce would have let him sink.

Thunderlane knew he had to find some way out, and fast. With each step he took his already swollen knees and hocks screamed at him to stop, but he refused to answer their pleas. He could leave Rumble, Bryce would keep him safe. But if he stayed behind he might as well skewer himself on Bryce's pitchfork now and be done with it.

Without much warning, Thunderlane came to a stop a few inches behind the salamander, one hoof left hanging in the air. It wasn't the heat the small amphibian let off that made him pause, it was the high pitched ‘whoop’ it gave, letting Thunderlane know he was about to step on it.

Thunderlane took note of where they were. The path ahead split into two separate paths; one way going to the left; the other to the right. The stallion took a few steps back away from the flame-covered salamander, at the same time keeping his distance from Bryce.

Bryce furrowed his brow at the sight before him. He bit down on his lip and exhaled before saying under his breath, "Damn it all!"

"Well, now what?" Thunderlane asked, his annoyance as plain as day.

"I don't know. But we can't go back the way we came; I doubt King Ghidorah's given up."

"King who?"

"No one." Bryce took a few steps forward, using what little light the salamander gave off to see what lay ahead. He could not see much. Placing down his weapon, Bryce took a knee. The way that went to the right went straight as far as the eye could see, up until the path dissolved into darkness. The left path went on a few feet before taking a quick bend further left.

Bryce looked to the salamander. "You have any suggestions?"

The salamander replied with a ‘whoop’.

He shook his head. "I can't understand you."

Thunderlane looked to the human with a sideways glance. "What do you mean by that?"

"His thoughts aren't in English. I can't understand a thing he's thinking."

"So you can read the minds of animals, too?"

"Yes, but only if their thoughts are in English. All of his are in that sound he keeps making." The salamander responded with another ‘whoop’. "It's exactly like that."

After taking a minute to ponder the situation, Bryce stood back up. "Well, we can't take the time to go down one, just to find a dead end ten minutes down the way. We're going to have to split up, take both paths."

Sure, Thunderlane thought. What better way to get me alone, away from prying eyes.

"Actually, Thunderlane, I was going to suggest you go with the salamander, since it seems to like you."

Hearing that, the pegasus' jaw almost dropped. "Uhm... Uh... Okay...?"

"That's a good idea, Bryce," Rumble butted in. "But if he has the salamander then how are we going to see where we're going?"

Bryce thought for a second, then came up with a plan as he eyed his makeshift weapon. Uncoiling the duct tape from around the handles, he placed his foot down on tines of the pitchfork. Taking a firm grip on the handle, Bryce pulled up on the farm tool until the wood snapped away. With the handle free, Bryce took the unraveled duct tape and wrapped it around the now splintered end. After feeling satisfied the grey tape would stay, he motioned for the brothers to move away from the salamander. Holding the duct taped end of the handle over the amphibian's fire-covered form, the tape took the flame.

With the torch now lit, Bryce brought the fire up to his eye level. As the fire moved to the entirety of the tape, he gave a nod. "This will work. It might not last long, or provide very much light, but it's better than nothing." He brought the torch up a couple of feet, further illuminating the tunnel. "Here's what we'll do: Thunderlane, you go with the salamander down one way. Rumble and I will go down the other. We'll each take around 200 steps. After that we come back to here and decide what to do from there."

Thunderlane let out a huff, not wanting to listen to the human. "That's your plan?!"

"Okay, Lane, what's your plan?" Rumble chided.

"I say we just go down one way and hope for the best. What's the worst that could happen?"

"That's a terrible plan. I mean, what if it's like Bryce said and we come to a dead end?"

"Then we just turn back and go the other way."

"But what if there are more forks like this one? We can't waste time going down every single one. We'll get lost in here for sure."

"Okay, big guy, what's your plan?!"

"We do what Bryce said."

Thunderlane gave a hiss. "You're going to listen to what he said? It's his fault we're here in the first place."

"Yeah, and I guess you had nothing to do with it. You know, I was happy that you apologized, that was all I wanted. But no, you had to make Bryce accept it. You couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"Yeah, well... None of this would ever have happened if he hadn't taken my flight away in the first place. And-"

Whatever words the brothers would have said next was cut off by the sound of Bryce slamming the blade end of the shovel against the cave wall.

The pegasi gripped at their ears, prompting Bryce to stop. After Thunderlane had recovered enough, he shot the human a glare. "You took my flight and now you want my hearing, too?!"

"Your debate was going nowhere." Bryce stated in a stern tone. "And it was worse for me."

"So what, now it's a contest? If you're so tough why not just use those freaky mind powers of yours?"

Bryce gave a blank stare. "Do you want me to?"

Thunderlane was again stopped in his tracks, beyond belief at what he had just challenged the human to do. "Well, no I-"

"That's what I thought," Bryce said, cutting the elder brother short. He shouldered the shovel. "Now unless either one of you can think of anything better, we split up, go 200 steps, and come back." Bryce waited for a response. When there was none, he said, "Well, you go first, Thunderlane."

Thunderlane gave Bryce one last look, then gave the same look to Rumble. "That's fine with me. Anything to get me away from you." He said the last part under his breath, thinking nobody would hear. He went to take the path that went to the left, only for Bryce to stab the shovel in the ground in front of him. He met Bryce's grey eyes.

"Be careful of your footing," was all he said.

Thunderlane rolled his eyes at the human, stepping to the side of the shovel and down the path. The salamander followed soon after, its light going with it.

Once the slate grey pegasus was out of earshot, Rumble said under his breath, "I can say the same about you."

It wasn't long after, after their eyes adjusted to the low light of the torch that Bryce and Rumble went down the other way.

The pair continued along in silence, the only sound coming from their respective steps. It was around the fortieth step Bryce said, "You shouldn't hate him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thunderlane continued deeper into the cave, the salamander the only thing that kept him company and provided him with light. The salamander had to scurry to keep up the pace with the slate grey pegasus, who was now away from Bryce's watchful eye. As he went along, his only thought was on finding his way out of the endless labyrinth of tunnels, and not on keeping track of the number of steps he had taken. To Hell with that idea, he doubted it would have worked anyway.

As Thunderlane was trotting ahead, his hoof got caught on an outcropping of rock that sent him rolling forward. He didn't come to a stop until he hit a wall about a dozen feet in front of him. He ended up on his back, looking up to the cave ceiling above him. When his vision stopped spinning, he spotted the fire salamander standing over him, concerned by the stallion's tumble.

"What? What do you want?"

The salamander replied with a high pitched ‘whoop’.

"Oh, is that all?" Thunderlane got back onto his hooves. He winced as he did so, the soreness in his joints flaring up more than it had before. As the pain started to subside, Thunderlane dusted himself off. After he was finished, he let out a sigh, "What am I doing out here?" He asked noboby in particular.

The salamander tilted its head to the side, letting out another ‘whoop’.

"Are you judging me?"

‘Whoop’.

"I'm sure you're not." Thunderlane gave another sigh. He looked back the way he had come. He wanted to go on, but the pain in his legs was too much right now. Bryce might wait for a while after seeing he wasn't coming back, so he had time to wait. But the question he had was how much. The way he'd taken had been a winding path, but had for the most part went in one direction. At the pace he'd gone he was sure it would be a while before Bryce and his brother could get to him.

At the thought of Rumble, Thunderlane gave a scowl. He couldn't believe how his brother had taken Bryce's side. But then he thought of the fight they had, and couldn’t believe how out of favor he had become. His scowl lightened to a look of shame. He bit his tongue for thinking this, but he thanked Celestia the human had come along. If his little brother hadn't come back up he felt any punishment he would have received would have been too light.

He looked up to the salamander. "You saw what I did, right?" The salamander whooped, which Thunderlane took to mean 'yes'. "Well, I'm not saying I didn't do wrong, but I didn't know what to do. I wanted to go in after him, but when I thought about it I thought I would mess things up more than I already have." The stallion looked down to his hooves. "I apologized so I wouldn't lose my little bro, but now..." Thunderlane buried his head in his hooves, unable to finish his sentence. "I'm such a bucking idiot. This is all my fault."

The salamander waited a few seconds before it dimmed its flames and walked a few inches towards the stallion. It let out a low ‘whoop’.

"What?"

‘Whoop’.

"You're cool and all, but I doubt that would-"

‘Whoop’.

"He won't accept an apology from me. To him I'm just an-."

‘Whoop’.

"Of course he's my brother."

‘Whoop’.

"Yeah, I like him."

‘Whoop’.

"Uh, yeah. I 'like' him in that way."

‘Whoop’.

"What are you getting at?"

The salamander gave a few more whoops.

"I wouldn't let that happen again."

‘Whoop’.

"Yeah, even that."

The salamander gave a few more whoops, causing Thunderlane to furrow his brow in determination. "You're right. I mean, going up to Bryce was one of the scariest things I've ever done. What could go wrong with saying the same thing to my brother?" The salamander gave a jump, letting out a ‘whoop’ much higher than the others. "Yeah, I... Wait a minute..." Thunderlane looked down to the black and yellow amphibian. "Did I just agree with a lizard?" The salamander whooped, correcting him. "Sorry, salamander?"

Knowing what little else to do, the salamander went, ‘whoop’.

"Okay, just checking." Thunderlane again furrowed his brow. "Alright, let's-" Before Thunderlane could take a step forward and head back down the way he'd came, the salamander doused its flame. "Hey, what gives?! Turn the light back on," Thunderlane scolded. The salamander called out from behind him, further down the path he'd been on. "What are you going on about?" He started to ask. But what he saw before up ahead made him pause.

Down the cave, maybe fifty feet or more up a slight incline was a silver light. It didn't take long for Thunderlane's mind to click, registering what the light for what it was. It was the moon. And if he could see the moon then that meant a way to the outside.

Thunderlane couldn't contain the joy he felt. He hopped up and down, letting out shouts of joy. "Alright, that's what I'm talking about. You are awesome!"

The salamander replied with a humble ‘whoop’.

"Nothing, this is great! Ha-ha, I can practically feel the dirt!" Thunderlane darted for the moonlight, but then skid to a halt. "Wait, I can't go out there by myself. I gotta go and get Rumble."

With that thought in mind, Thunderlane ran back, the pain in his joints all but forgotten. He winded his way back through the cave, in his mind picturing the similar shouts of joy his brother would soon give. And hopefully a pat on the back from Bryce, though that sounded like a long shoot given their history.

In his fervor, the loud whoops the salamander gave went unnoticed. As it watched as Thunderlane turned down what the stallion must have thought to be the right path the salamander's whoops grew in intensity.

It wasn't long after Thunderlane felt himself step onto a patch of water. He attempted to skid to a stop, but the presence of water on a smooth stone floor made him continue to slide forward. He tried to right himself, but ended up falling on his back. It wasn't long after he felt the floor dip down, taking him along for the ride.

After sliding along on his back for a few seconds, Thunderlane fell through the air, not stopping until he hit a pool of water, a loud splash echoing through the cave. His first reaction was to kick about to try and keep afloat. He felt the bottom not far below and used it to get himself to shore.

Lying flat on his gut, making sure his head was above the water Thunderlane took in shallow breaths. From behind there came a splash, much smaller than the one Thunderlane had made. Without getting up, he watched the salamander came into his field of vision with a ‘whoop’.

Thunderlane shook his head. "Normally, this would be awesome, but after all I've been through I just want to go home." Crawling the rest of the way, Thunderlane pulled himself out of the water and turned over on his back. His wings hung limp at his sides. "What the hay just happened?"

‘Whoop’.

"You don't say." Thunderlane looked around, spying an opening at the top of the chamber that looked out to the moon. Thunderlane raised a hoof up to the Mare in the Moon, thinking she was mocking him. "Screw you, you crater-faced bitch!" He allowed his limb to fall down at his side. He lie there for a minute before letting out a heavy sigh. "Well, little buddy, now what?"

The salamander crawled up the pegasus' stomach, forcing a laugh to come out from the famished stallion. "Hey, quit it. I'm not in the mood." Thunderlane propped himself up so he could see the small amphibian.

‘Whoop’.

"What really?"

‘Whoop’.

"Wait for what?"

As if answering the slate grey stallion, he watched as a ripple formed in the river. Not long after, he saw a soot black head emerge from shoreline, one that had a wider shape than the salamander that rested on his stomach. When the larger salamander pulled itself out of the water, it shook its body, shaking off water from its black, rubbery form.

From what little light was in the cavern, Thunderlane guessed it to be around five, five-and-a-half feet at the most from snout to tail. Its body looked like the center of a toilet paper roll had gotten wet and was pressed flat. On each of its stubby toes there were small, pointed claws. The spots it had across its slick, black body were the same as the smaller salamander's, only larger, and ranged in color from a burnt orange to a bright yellow. As the larger salamander shook from side to side the spots danced like fire in the pale moonlight.

"Wow, is that your big brother?" Thunderlane asked, awestruck by the size of the monster.

Before the smaller salamander could give a whoop, its larger sibling was engulfed in a thin blanket of flames, lighting up the large chamber.

"That answers that question; I can see the resemblance."

The young salamander quickly ran off Thunderlane's stomach, coming to a stop between the pegasus and its much larger sibling. It began to let out a series of whoops. Whatever the small one had said, the big one must not have liked what it heard. It snapped its wide, flat jaws at the young salamander, causing it to run off.

"Yeah," Thunderlane said in a low voice. "I can see the resemblance." He gave the new salamander a forced smile. "You wouldn't know the way out, would you? Because I got lost in here with my brother and we-"

Before Thunderlane could finish, the large salamander lunged toward him. Thunderlane stepped back out of its reach.

"Whoa! I wasn't trying to be nasty. I just want to find my brother and-"

The salamander took another lunge, letting out a growl at Thunderlane, who was now pushed back into the cavern wall.

"Hey, I- I didn't hurt your brother, if that's what's upsetting you. Okay, I did a few times, but little brothers, you-?"

Just then, the flames that had sprouted along the large salamander's back grow in strength. Thunderlane could see the large salamander open its wide mouth, revealing its small, yet sharp pointed teeth and the much angrier flames it held within. By the time he realized what was about to happen he froze on the spot, the color draining from his face.

The salamander took in a deep breath, held it for a second, and blew it out, expelling the full force of its inner fire at the spot in front of it. It allowed this to happen for a full ten seconds before it gave out, the air in its lungs spent. The cave wall it had unleashed its fury on glowed a bright orange.

As the rocks smoldered and cracked, the salamander was quick to notice the absence of the pegasus. It looked to the side and found the stallion sprawled out lengthwise. It gave a disgruntled growl, prepared to try a second time.

But before it could draw in a breath it heard something approaching from behind. Before it could turn its large body around it felt a stabbing pain in its right side. It let out a cry of pain, one that almost matched Bryce's as he let go of the head of the pitchfork. The heat the salamander gave off had heated up the metal so fast the fork was glowing red hot.

As Bryce held his burned hand close to his chest, he looked over to Thunderlane. He was amazed he had been able to push the pegasus out of the way without crushing him. Thunderlane wasn't moving, but the fast rise and fall of his chest was proof enough he was alive.

By then the salamander had turned around, not the least bit afraid of the tall human in front of him. It leaped forward, prepared to sink its teeth into Bryce's exposed leg.

Bryce jumped back in time to miss the salamander’s maw. The plump beast gave a low growl. Bryce gritted his teeth, forcing a thin mass of life force to spring up and heal his burns. As he levitated his shovel over, he snarled, "You're not killing anyone today." He took a firm grip on the handle until his knuckles were white. "I'll make sure of that."

Drawing in a shallow breath, the salamander let out a quick fireball, which Bryce was able to dodge. It let loose a second fireball, this time causing Bryce to roll out of the way and to its left flank.

By now Bryce was in arm's length of the salamander. With the flaming amphibian unable to turn its head far enough around, he took the opportunity to slice at its side. The edge of the shovel made contact, but was only able to leaving a two inch gash. From the wound sprang blood that glowed like lava.

The pain the wound gave the salamander went unnoticed as it hopped around, facing Bryce. It bit down on the blade of the shovel.

Bryce pulled back on the shovel, trying to wretch his weapon free. When the salamander refused to give, Bryce brought his hands down low and pulled up on the end of the handle furthest from him. Letting out a yell as he hefted up the salamander, he threw the monster over his head and smacked it down on its back.

The force of the blow was enough to make the salamander release its jaw from the shovel blade, but had the negative consequence of expelling what little air was in its lungs, setting loose a rogue fireball. Bryce slid back, the shoulder of his shirt the only thing to catch fire.

With the salamander stuck on its back, Bryce was quick to pat down the flame before spinning the shovel downwards. He charged forward, hoping he could stab into the fiend's exposed belly, but the salamander was able to keep the human at bay with a curtain of fire.

Bryce ducked back from each breath, missing the fire by mere inches. He knew he had to think of something; going head to head with the creature ran the risk of getting a face full of fire. He knew the water was behind him, but the question was whether it would be able to put out the flames across its body. With no other option Bryce stepped into the water, his shoes becoming filled in an instant. Using the shovel he slung a sizeable amount of water in the salamander's face just as it let loose another mouthful of fire.

It gave the desired effect of not only putting out the fireball, but extinguishing the salamander as well. And while it hadn't hurt the salamander in the slightest, it was enough of a shock to leave it confused.

Not sure how long the water would be able to neutralize the salamander's fire, Bryce rushed forward, almost tripping as he jumped back onto shore. Little fizzles of fire were already beginning to form on the thing's black body by the time he reached it.

Locking eyes with the salamander, Bryce pulled back his shovel. Letting out a loud cry he thrust down with all his might impaling the blade into its neck.

For a few seconds it spasmed as its mind was cut off from the rest of its body. The last few breaths of fire escaped from its mouth and the hole in its neck.

With one last cough of flames the salamander lie still, a pool of lava-like blood forming around its open neck.

Bryce held onto the handle for a few seconds, taking in the scene before him. With shaking hands he released his hold on the shovel, allowing the tool to fall to the floor. He took in a few quick breaths as he stepped back.

The entire time Thunderlane had sat back and watched. For the most part he was amazed Bryce had been able to literally pull him out of the fire. And he was even more amazed to see him give the salamander what for, even more so without the use of his powers. He got to his hooves and made his way over to Bryce, who had taken a seat on the hard stone floor. When he reached Bryce he looked over to the salamander for a second before turning back, not daring to meet his eye.

It took a while for Bryce to say anything. "I didn't want to kill it. It was going to kill you."

"And it almost did. But you... You pushed me out of the way? Because I know I didn't move. I couldn't have."

"I did. I did it." Bryce looked down to his feet, feeling ashamed about what he'd done.

Thunderlane noticed this, but didn't know how to take it. Bryce had saved him, that was a given. And he had done it with his mind powers, there was no other explanation in his mind. But when Bryce confirmed it Thunderlane could tell he was ashamed, he knew the look from his and Rumble’s parents. What did he have to feel guilty about? In his opinion Bryce had done a good thing, for what his life was worth to everypony else.

He wanted to ask why, but he felt he wouldn't get an answer. Not right now, at least. Instead, he looked down to his hooves. "Thank you," he said, hoping it was loud enough for Bryce to hear. He allowed that to hang in the air before he turned to more pressing matters. Shaking his head, he asked in a clear voice. "Where's my brother? Is he okay?"

"He's fine. He's up where we came in." He turned back, looking up to the chute both he and Thunderlane had slid down. Bryce bit down on his lip. "Well, we're not getting back up that way." He looked downstream. "This may be a slim chance, but if we go down river we might find a way out."

"Do you think so?"

"Well, this river has to let out somewhere. But that means we'll need to get your brother to come down here." He stared Thunderlane in the eye. "Since he can't swim one of us will need to get him to shore."

"I- I can't," Thunderlane was quick to rebuke. "After what I did..."

"Yeah, but you're not gonna let it happen again." Bryce stood up, cupping his hands over his hands over his mouth. "It's safe, come on down!" It wasn't long after they heard the light grey colt scream as he came down and soon after go quiet when he hit the water. Bryce motioned to Thunderlane. "Your move."

Thunderlane took in a deep breath before jumping in. He swam out to Rumble, who was reluctant to take his brother's offered back, but with no other option accepted.

When they reached the shore Rumble let out a shout when he saw the dead salamander.

"It’s okay, Rumble," Thunderlane reassured. "It's not gonna hurt anypony."

Being cautious, Rumble took a few steps towards the corpse, its bright blood still flowing from its neck. "Wh- What did that?"

"It was Bryce. You should have seen him, Rumble. He was awesome. He even managed to somehow lifted it over his head and slam it on its back." Thunderlane stopped after noticing how Bryce was looking down to his feet. "But it's dead so we're safe."

"I wouldn't say that," Bryce butted in. "There may be more of those things down the way. I can hold them off if they try and bite us, but if they try and burn us..." Bryce saw Rumble start to look uneasy. "But don't worry, kid. We're all going to get out of here." He looked to the dead salamander, recalling something he'd learned long ago. "Thunderlane, where's the salamander that was hanging around with you?"

Thunderlane scoffed at mention of the little salamander. "I don't know and I don't care. That thing led me down here to be a fried chicken dinner."

"Well, we need its fire."

From a few feet away there came a 'whoop'. The salamander came scurrying over, lighting up the room as it was engulfed in flames.

"Good, now hold still." Bryce bent down, holding his forearm over the salamander's fire. He gave a hiss when the heat became too much.

"What are you doing that for?!" Thunderlane asked, stunned.

"For comparison."

"Comparison for what?"

Bryce stood up and walked over to the dead salamander. "There's a special property about salamander blood. There's only one example of it, but if it works it'll help us get past the fire." Taking his pinky, Bryce dipped it into the lava-like blood for half a second. Then for a full second. Feeling satisfied it wouldn't burn him he sank his whole hand into the pool of blood.

Thunderlane and Rumble didn't know what to think. "What are you doing?!"

Bryce didn't answer as he scooped up a fair amount of blood and smeared it up and down his arms. After spreading out what he had in his hands he walked back to the young salamander and did the same with it as before. When he didn't take his forearm away after a few seconds Thunderlane was prepared to tackle him to the ground. That was until Bryce said, "That ain’t proper."

He turned his arm around, testing it for heat but none passed through the blood. He then decided to test the limit and grabbed ahold of the still burning salamander.

The two brothers' jaws dropped from what they saw. They thought it was all a trick until Bryce let go of the salamander and showed them his hands. They were both spotless, not a single burn. "Well, we've solved the fire problem." He went back over to the dead salamander, coating the rest of his body in its blood. He also covered his satchel for extra protection.

"Yeah, but..." Thunderlane looked to the pool of blood along the rock floor. His face went sour. "Really?!?!?!"

"It's either this or we get deep fried, minus the 11 herbs and spices." Bryce scooped up a glob of salamander blood. "Now who wants to lather up first?"

While still hesitant, Rumble stepped forward.

"Rumble!"

The colt looked back to his brother. "I don't know what all happened, but I'd prefer to not get roasted, not that you would care."

Rumble cleared the remaining distance towards Bryce. "Don't worry, kid. Once it's on you’ll feel a lot better," Bryce told him.

Bryce rubbed the blood into Rumble's light grey coat and feathers. The colt cringed at first, but as the human went about his work the revulsion of the situation passed. When Bryce was finished he gave Rumble a pat on the back. "Alright, you're done. You can cover your shame." He looked over to Thunderlane. "Your turn, Thunderlane."

If Thunderlane had anything left in his stomach it would have been spread out on the floor of the cave by now. He looked to his brother, who had done as Bryce had told him. The colt dipped his hooves into the dying light of the blood and spread it around his loin. "Uh, how is it, Rumble?"

Rumble gave a weak smile. "It's like Bryce said. Once it's on you feel a lot better."

Thunderlane stared at Bryce's offered hand, his palm full of the lava-like blood. He stepped forward and slammed his eyes shut. Through gritted teeth, he stated, "Get it over with, quick."

"I'll do my best."

When the blood made contact with his back Thunderlane was prepared to bolt, to jump into the underground river and scrub every last trace of the warm mess out of his fur. But it didn't take long for him to feel what both his brother and Bryce had felt. In truth, it reminded him of the time he was sick, and the feel of a hot shower over his chills ridden form made him want to fall asleep right there in the bathroom. It was more the thought of what he was now covered in that made him shudder, but the emotions it gave off were enough to hold those thoughts at bay.

He didn't know he'd been moaning until Bryce said, "There, I'm done. Now take the time and coat your shame." He pulled the pitchfork from out of the salamander's side, allowing for a smaller pool of blood to spring forth. After placing the pitchfork into his satchel he noticed something around the edge of where he pierced the beast. He pulled at the edge of one of the wounds, the flesh giving way. "This could be useful," Bryce said, taking out his whittling knife and cutting away the flesh.

Thunderlane took a step back. "What do you plan on doing with that?!"

"For one, I could go for some new shoes," Bryce replied, sticking out his exposed left foot. "Well, I didn't even notice I'd lost that." He stuck out his other foot, showing a shoe that was well past its prime. Thunderlane could see the human's toes wiggle inside the sneaker through a hole in the bottom.

"Is that a human thing, because they look too small?"

"You can say that again. These are 13-wides, and they're still too tight." Bryce continued to cut away at the salamander's hide. "You might not want to see this. Why don't you go and talk with your brother?" Bryce suggested before cutting a long gash down the side of the salamander.

Thunderlane looked away from the sight. "Well, it’s worth a shot." He left Bryce to his work. When he found Rumble, he was with the salamander, his hoof hovering over the flames it gave off. Upon seeing this Thunderlane rushed over, kicking rock chips in the small amphibian's direction. "Get outta here!" He snarled.

"Lane, what are you doing now?!" Rumble asked, his annoyance with his brother sparked.

"This thing could be a spy. It could be relaying back to more of its kind."

"Then why did it help us find our way through?"

"It led us down here."

"No, we followed you down here. Why were you out this far anyway? This had to be more than 200 steps."

"I'd found a way out. Well, we did." He motioned to the salamander.

"Yeah, sure you did."

"We did." The salamander gave a 'whoop' in approval. Thunderlane shook his hoof at the small, lizard-like creature. "Quiet you!"

"Hey, don't get onto it now. If it weren't for the little guy we wouldn't be able to see our hooves in front of our faces." The salamander gave a 'whoop', lifting its neck up in admiration. "And I still say you're lying."

"I'm not. We found a way and I was coming back to tell you both. Why would I want to get you into this mess?"

"I don't know, why would you?"

"I wouldn't. Believe me, this is practically the last place I want to be. Between the lack of food, the fire-breathing lizards-" The salamander gave a 'whoop'. "Sorry, salamanders, and you almost... Rumble, you have to believe I didn't want this to happen, especially to you." He looked away from his brother's stare.

"Rumble, I'm sorry this happened. I mean, I should have listened to you. You're the only pony, outside of Cloudchaser, that'll put up with me. Hay, Mom and Dad don't put up with some of the stuff I've done like you do. And right now I don't think I can put up with myself. I know we've never said it, but I care about you, little bro. In my psychotic sorta way, I do care about you." Thunderlane looked back, expecting to see Rumble. But the colt had instead walked off a short distance, the little salamander lighting his way. His ears drooped down as he looked to the floor.

From off to the side Bryce approached, his feet now bare. He came to a stop a couple feet away. "You tried, Thunderlane."

"I failed him..."

"It was an honest mistake. But I know you'll never let it happen again, not if you have the chance." He placed a hand on Thunderlane's back, a hand the stallion was almost as quick to deny.

"Why are you doing this?"

"What reason do I have not to?"

"I stole from you, to start with. And then there was the stalking, the time we first met, the time I almost tackled you, which in itself should have been a death sentence."

"And yet you're still alive."

"I know, and then you actually saved me… You saved me."

"Yes, I did. What of it?"

"Ponies just don't go saving other ponies like that. Not after the kind of stuff I did to you."

"Yeah, but I'm not a pony, am I? I mean, fingers." Bryce wiggled his fingers about for Thunderlane to see.

"I know, but it's just so... So wrong."

"Maybe to you, but to me it was right. Maybe what's wrong is you've done so many bad things you can't tell what's right and what's wrong."

"What are you getting at?"

"Well, would it be wrong for you to save another pony who was about to be trampled by a stampede of cows?"

"I... I don't know."

"What if they were about to fall off a cliff? Would it be wrong to save them then?"

"Uhm..."

"Or how about this. What if they were drowning? They were out in a boat when suddenly the boat capsized. They didn't know how to swim, and there's nobody around for miles, except you and the drowning pony. If you saved him, would that be wrong?"

"It... It wouldn't be."

"Then would it be wrong to save the other two; the one who is about to be trampled and the one who is about to fall off a cliff?"

Thunderlane didn't need long to answer. "It would be wrong to not try. I get it, I'm scum."

"You're not scum. Scum is the shit a goldfish craps out, eats, craps out, and then eats over and over, again and again." Bryce took a knee beside the stallion, coming to his level. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad about what you did; you already do. I'm doing this to show you do know what's right." He placed a hand on Thunderlane's withers, this time without being refused. "I can't tell you what would have happened if I hadn't shown up when I did, and I can't say you won't screw up again. But if you don't learn something from your mistakes it was for nothing. All you can do is try better. You might not win your brother back but you can show him you care."

"Do you think it's possible for him to care about me? To him I'm nothing but an ass."

"To tell you the truth, I thought the same thing. But that was before I saw how well the salamander took to you. The little one, not his big brother back there. Animals tend to see the good in those most others are quick to judge."

"What about your dog?"

"Dogs can be an exception; they tend to not like the things they see as a threat to their owners." Bryce stood back up. "But what I'm saying is that if a salamander can take to you like that, there has to be some good in you."

Thunderlane didn't say anything for a second. He turned back to look at Bryce. "Do you really think so?"

"I know."

"But what about you? If anypony hated me it should be you."

"I don't hate you. I just don't like you. Besides, others have done much worse to me before you. Compared to them you're a petty thief against a serial killer."

They allowed that to hang in the air a few seconds before Thunderlane asked, "Does this mean we need to be nice to each other?" Bryce shook his head. "Good, because you're annoying me." He walked in the direction he'd seen Rumble take. "Now let's get the buck out of here. All these feelings are making me wanna puke."

Bryce allowed him to go ahead. "Same here, jackass."

Thunderlane looked back, an angry look on his face. It subsided when he noticed the smirk the human gave in return. "Alright, I get it, I get it. Let's get going."

When they reached Rumble, Bryce brought them all in close, including the young salamander. "Alright, guys," he said in a low voice, "from here on out I need you all to keep as quiet as possible. If we come across anymore of those big ones you keep moving. If worst comes to worst you both just run and don't look back. I don't care what you hear, you run. Now, is there anything any of you want to add?" Bryce gave the group a few seconds, and received no answer. "Alright, keep moving and keep quiet. If you have to say something just think it."

With that said, the group moved forward, the small salamander taking the helm to light the way.

They had walked for around five minutes when they heard the sound of something slapping the rock ahead. Instead of stopping they did as Bryce had said. They kept going as the source of the sound came into view: Another large salamander, about a foot longer than the one Bryce had dealt with not long before. It was enveloped in a thin sheet of fire.

Above where its fore legs met its sides sprouted a matching pair of thin growths, each about eight inches long that curved back. The backsides of these projections held a thin membrane that was almost translucent.

What are those things on its back? Thunderlane wondered.

I don't know, he heard Bryce say, without saying it.

Wait, how are you doing that?

That's not important. Just keep moving; don't stop.

As they came closer to the large salamander, Thunderlane felt his heart jump up into his throat. They were practically in front of it now, but it ignored them if it saw them. The stallion held his breath, not wanting to draw the beast's attention.

As it passed them by Thunderlane could see this salamander was a bit thinner, and had rough patches across its otherwise rubbery hide. In what little light there was, they looked to be scales.

From up front, Bryce yelled in Thunderlane's mind, THUNDERLANE, MOVE!!!

When he looked away from the salamander he could see Bryce a few yards away, waving him down. "Sorry," Thunderlane said in a low tone. He slammed his hoof over his mouth as he looked over his shoulder. The large salamander had come to a stop, as if to focus on a noise it had heard.

It let out a low growl as it turned its head back. Before it could make a full turn, its head shot towards the river. It made a sound similar to a grunt before charging forward and going headfirst into the water.

Once the salamander was gone Thunderlane took the chance to exhale. He almost screamed when Bryce grabbed him by the withers, and would have if not for Bryce putting a hand over his mouth. The human stared him down, his face somewhere between being a scowl and loggy. Thunderlane, the stallion heard him say inside his mind. Keep moving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was after a somewhat long trip past another unaware salamander that Bryce said in his own words, "Guys, let's stop for a second. I need a break." Without waiting for an okay, Bryce slumped down next to a wall. He rested his head in his forearms.

Can we talk now? Rumble thought.

"You can for now. But stay quiet."

"That's fine with me. This...whatever is getting too weird for me. And how are they not seeing us?"

"They can see us. It's more that their brains aren't registering that anything is there.

"So we're invisible to them?" Thunderlane asked.

"In theory, yes. In practice, we're there, but not noticed. It's like when you're so caught up in looking for something that you overlook it."

"Oh... Okay... I mean that's...cool. I don't understand how you do it, but if it gets us out of fighting them I'm okay with that." There was a short pause before Thunderlane finally asked. "What about my flight? Did you do something like that?"

Bryce shrank back. "I did..." He stood up, using the cavern wall to help steady himself.

Thunderlane came forward, ready to catch Bryce if he couldn't keep himself up. Seeing him up close, he noticed how drained he appeared. "Are you alright? Because we can wait if you need more time." Rumble raised an eyebrow, not believing his brother to be concerned by the human's current state.

"No, we need to move, while the way is clear," Bryce said, waving the stallion back.

"But you're bleeding."

Bryce wiped under his nose, his fingers stained with blood. "It's nothing. I just haven't done this in so long." And never this many times in a row. "It'll stop on its own."

"Fine, I'll drop it." Thunderlane stepped in front of Bryce, blocking his path. "But I want an answer to this though. You said you did something to my brain to make me unable to fly, but is what you said before also true? If I do whatever it was you told me to do will it get me my flight back?" Bryce gave a nod.

"You can. The truth behind it is that you can fly, but because of me screwing with your head your mind fails to make it happen. When you think about flying you are literally thinking about it so much you can't remember which comes first, A or B. It's the same as if I made a greedy man so sick to death of money the only way to break it is to have as little of it as possible. With you I used the thing you pride yourself in the most against you, your ability to fly. And now all you can think about is your flight, if that makes sense."

"It does. I don't know if it's right to ask, but do you think I can get it back? I've tried so many things, and none of them worked."

"Better chance of a pig flying," Rumble chided.

Bryce ignored this, and said, "Before today I couldn't say either way, but from what I've seen today anything is possible. Maybe not flying pigs, but maybe a flying horse thing. But who knows. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe a few years down the road. The point is, you'll get there, if you're willing to let the opportunity present itself on its own, not through force." Bryce stepped past Thunderlane.

Thunderlane held back. He felt what Bryce said was true, but was unsure if he could follow through. "Come on now. No reason to stop," Bryce said, pulling the stallion forward.

For the next several minutes the group didn't come across anymore salamanders, but did happen upon something that made them want to collapse. After a fair amount of walking the path ahead became brighter. And the source of the light made them almost shout for joy as they looked out to the moon bathed mouth of the cave. The only pitfall along the way was a large rock, but it was small enough they could get past with ease.

With their goal in sight, Bryce pulled at his hair. In a cracked voice, he said, "Thank you, Father."

"You said it!" Thunderlane exclaimed, almost ready to roll up into a ball and laugh.

"We still have to get through the forest," Rumble stated bluntly. "And Mom and Dad are gonna kill us."

"Don't be so negative, Rumble. Compared to everything else the forest and Mom and Dad are nothing. I'm more worried what I'm gonna do first when we get home: Eat, bathe, or sleep." With that said Thunderlane ran ahead of the group, wanting to kiss the soft, cushioned dirt.

Bryce and Rumble followed close behind, each just as determined to get out but too tired to follow suit. It all seemed to be over, until Bryce saw the rock crack open. He brought the head of the shovel down in front of Rumble. "Bryce, what are you doing?! What's wrong?!"

He ignored the colt, more concerned for Thunderlane, who was closing in on the animate rock. "Thunderlane, it's not a rock!" He shouted.

Thunderlane looked back, his body still going forward. "What about the rock?" The stallion ran himself into the ‘rock’ at full gallop. What Bryce had said was at the back of his mind, he was more concerned at how soft the rock had been.

As his vision came back into focus, he found himself face to face with a big yellow ring around a black void. The void gave a hiss as it looked back at him with malice. It wasn't until the half second disappearance behind a scaled hood did Thunderlane take the black void for what it was.

The giant salamander reeled its head back, a head attached to a long, slender neck attached to a long, slender body. It brought its head over Thunderlane, giving him a whiff. The odor the stallion gave off made the salamander give a low growl. It reeled its head back again, the fury in its yellow eyes clear. Without warning, it drew in a breath and released it, encompassing Thunderlane in a pillar of fire.

Rumble shouted out for his brother. He made a pass to run, but Bryce was quick to draw the colt back, holding him to his chest in a bear hug.

Rumble continued to struggle in the human's arms. "Kid, stop!" Bryce hissed in his ear. "You'll get yourself killed."

Rumble didn't care. His brother was being burned to a crisp. If he died now, after the way he'd treated him...

When the salamander extinguished its fire it inspected the spot before it. The surrounding rock was a bright orange. At the center of the molten stone was Thunderlane, curled up and unscathed.

The salamander gave a roar. "This all but confirms it!" It said in a croaking voice as it stood to its full height. "You have bathed in the blood of one of my young!"

Everyone was left in a daze. Not from what the salamander had said, but that it had said it. It towered over Thunderlane, twelve feet at the most from the floor to the top of its head. Its thin form was long and covered in reddish-black scales. It looked to have been around 50 feet in length, at 20 of that being in its tail. There were spikes that ran down its neck and back, though none along its tail. The spikes that went across the top of its head were in a shape similar to a crown or diadem.

The salamander brought one of its clawed forelegs forward, crashing it into the stone floor next to Thunderlane. "Speak! Explain yourself!"

Before Thunderlane could stammer out a word, Rumble shouted, "Leave him alone!!!" Bryce tried to hold the colt back, but with a well-placed kick to the groin his grip gave way. Rumble ran up to the giant beast, coming between it and his brother. "You leave him alone!"

"Oh, and what makes you think I should do as you say, Equestrian?" Rumble stared back into the salamander's large eyes. It released a twin pair of flames from its nostrils, but Rumble kept his place. "You reek of the blood of one of my young, as well. The amount that is on you two is enough to have bled dry a salamander four summers old, seven with the ape. If that is the case then one of my nymphs has been slain." The mother bent her head down to Rumble. "I suggest you tell me now, boy. Someone must pay the price," she hissed.

Bryce would have stepped forward, if not for Thunderlane being the one to beat him to the punch. "It was me. I killed it." Rumble moved to protest this claim, but Thunderlane gave the colt a swift punch to the side. "I killed the salamander, and then I put its blood on me so I wouldn't get burned."

"So, the truth comes out." The mother gave a menacing smile as it blew out another pair of flames from its nostrils. "I would have taken it to have been this little morsel, or the hairless ape at the least. But you shall be more filling."

Bryce brought his shovel down with a clang, drawing the mother's attention. "It wasn't him, it was-"

"Silence!!!" The mother cried, slamming her tail into the floor and knocking loose a few hanging stalactites. "I have my culprit. You may go, or suffer the same fate." The mother parted her lips revealing four rows of scalpel sharp teeth. The longest were the size of Bryce's whittling knife.

Bryce brought out the head of his shovel, getting into a fighting stance. "The only one who will be suffering is you if you don't let us go now!"

The salamander mother stared into Bryce's dark eyes, not saying a word. Bryce was attempting to force her to give in to his demands, but in his drained state he was afraid he would fail.

Flames escaped from the mother's nostrils. "I see we are at an impasse. I have no choice." The salamander turned, clearing the way.

Bryce's heart leaped in his chest. He didn't know how, but he'd done it; the mother had bent to his will. With the mental feats he had preformed to pass by the previous salamanders unnoticed he was sure he would have had to resort to fighting. He was having trouble keeping himself upright just now.

He lowered his guard and ran over to check on Thunderlane.

But the truth was, he had failed. The mother, sensing something to be amiss had allowed Bryce to take the first move, and fall into her trap.

When Bryce came into range the salamander mother whipped out her tail and sent him flying back. He landed a few feet away with a loud thud.

The mother blew out a pair of flames. "And that impasse has been solved." Using her tail, she snaked it under Thunderlane before entangling him like a snake. With her prey caught, she hefted him up. "I would have allowed you and the fledgling to leave, but you will all feel the wrath of a mourning mother." She brought Thunderlane up to stare her in the eyes. "I shall start with the one you failed to save." She slammed a foreleg down, trapping Rumble. "And then the fledgling."

The mother constricted her tail, forcing the air out of Thunderlane's lungs.

Bryce was too dazed to think, to move. By the time he could take a knee Thunderlane could feel his bones begin to pop.

It was the intrusion of a loud 'whoop' that relaxed her tail. She looked down to her breast, spying the hatchling she had seen arrive with the group. "What business have you to second guess your mother, hatchling?!"

The salamander gave a 'whoop'.

The mother gave a rolling growl.

"Explain." What followed was a long series of whoops, none of which the group could understand. When the hatchling was finished, its mother blew out a pair of flames. "Is that so?!"

She released her hold on Thunderlane, allowing him to fall a short drop to the floor. He drew in a deep breath, his lungs screaming in pain.

The mother looked down to the stallion. "My hatchling tells me a different story. He tells me my nymph was the first to attack. Is this so?"

Between breaths, Thunderlane was able to say, "Well, he... I'm not sure if it's-"

"I care not for such things!" She slammed a foreleg down. "Did my nymph attack you first?!"

Thunderlane swallowed before giving a nod.

The mother allowed this to roll through her mind. "I see. It is as I feared." She stood up to her full height, staring the stallion down. "You are free to go." She stepped to the side, giving unhindered access to the exit.

"What, why?"

"I have warned my nymphs about such behavior to intruders. While I do not approve of your kind invading our home, they have no right to respond in kind. Not without being provoked first. A few listen to their mother, but others...are more disobedient." She blew out a pair of flames. "While the events of this evening are tragic in a mother's life, my nymph sealed its own fate. And for that I apologize, for mine and its behavior." She looked to Bryce, you was using his shovel to stand. "And I must apologize to you, as well."

"Well, I wasn't trying to kill it. I was just trying to stop it from killing my friend." Thunderlane perked up at that last word, 'friend'.

"I hold no grudge against you; It was only proper. If I had been present, I would have made it suffer for much, much longer. But in apology, I shall have a few of my more loyal sons escort you back home. It is the least I can do."

The mother took in a deep breath, then gave a long, shrill 'whoop'. When she was finished, a pair of salamanders, each about 12 feet in length crawled out from the river. These had a body somewhere in between that of their mother's and the thick, grotesque blob Bryce had taken on.

They gave a deep 'whoop' in unison. "The two of you, escort our guests to the town not far from here," their mother instructed. "Afterwards you are to return home." The pair gave a 'whoop' to confirm.

With their escorts leading the way, the group made to leave. Before Bryce could leave, the mother placed her tail across his path. "I would a word with you first, ape." She led Bryce a few feet away. "I have had many hatchlings in my life, but you have a courage none have demonstrated."

"Well, to be honest, I was just defending my friends. I was scared shitless the whole time."

"There is no difference in my eyes. I could tell it was you who took the life of my child. The fledgling was too small, and his brother...an idiot. My only regret is that I shall never know the thrill of fighting an opponent of which I have no knowledge."

Bryce planted the handle of his shovel into the floor, pointing the blade out to the mother at an angle. "We still can, if you still intend to keep us here." It was a joke, and in his mind he hoped she saw it that way. He would fight to keep the brothers alive, but he already knew the outcome.

The mother flicked her tail beneath her chin, as if considering the duel. She gave a smile. "If only my brood could show such bravery to their mother. They obey my every whim, but obedience will only take them so far. If they had an ounce of your bravery it would bring a tear to my eye." Using her tail, she brought Bryce's head up to look upon her own. "Your eyes are much lighter than they were before."

"Must have been the light."

"Perhaps. But I can feel something inside you. There is something going on inside your head I cannot place. But I have seen a face like the one you had before. It is the same face my mother gave before I slew her and became matriarch of this brood. She had slain many of my sister's before me, but her face I will never forget. The face of one who has killed before."

Bryce shook his head away. "I- I'm no killer. I killed your kid, but that was an accident."

"And it was a fine kill, I am sure. It is a shame I could not see it. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Bryce. Bryce Smales."

"Hmm, it is an odd name, but one I will give to the child I feel has...potential. Potential enough I hope to usurp my office. I dread the day, but will embrace it as the happiest day of my life." She used her tail to guide Bryce towards the exit. "But now you must go, Bryce Smales. And if you are ever in the area you are welcome to come by."

When Bryce reached the outside, he saw Thunderlane and Rumble waiting between the two large salamanders. "There you are. What did she want with you?" Thunderlane asked.

"She had something she wanted to say. She said she wants to name one of her kids after me."

The two present salamanders exchange glances. Thunderlane gave a snort. "Well it's her fault if it gets picked on, with a weird name like Bryce... I mean, for a salamander." Thunderlane forced a smile. "Let's get out of here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The group walked along, keeping pace with the salamanders. The whole time Thunderlane couldn’t stop recalling the day. "You should have seen him when he did it, Rumble. I mean, I was sure the shovel would snap, but Bryce came through."

"I know, Lane. Bryce picked up the salamander and threw it on its back. You've said it three times already. Can you take a break?"

"Come on, you can't say none of this is cool," Thunderlane said as he flew backwards. "I mean, there was the hydra, we got to see Bryce spin stuff around," he counted off on his hoof. "And now look, our own personal escorts."

One of the large salamanders gave a groan, upset their mother had forced it to take this demeaning errand. It's brother coped, reminding it what would happen if they didn't follow through.

Thunderlane came back down, not knowing he'd ever left the ground. "You can't say the last one isn't cool."

"Uh, Lane... You..." Rumble began to say. He wanted to make his brother's flight known, but he instead said, "Thanks for...sticking up for me when the mother wanted to eat me."

"What, that? That was nothing. But I didn't stop her, the little guy did."

The hatchling salamander gave a 'whoop' in response.

"If it weren't for him we would've been dinner. But I would do it again anytime, bro. Not when I still have the chance."

Rumble gave a smile, still a bit ticked about the day but willing to forgive him, this time.

Thunderlane looked back to Bryce, who held the caboose of the group. He had his hands inside his pockets. "And Bryce, what you did was just awesome. I mean, I don't how you do it, but you were awesome, for an ape."

"Yeah, whatever you say."

Thunderlane walked at his side. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to be out of there?"

"I am, but why aren't you mentioning the elephant in the room? That elephant being this." He extended his hand, levitating a large rock a few inches off the ground.

"Oh, that? I mean, if you're afraid of me saying anything to anypony I promise I won't. I doubt anypony would listen anyway. But after today we're solid, for the most part."

"That's not what I was afraid of. I was before, but not now. Doesn't it make you afraid I can do that?"

"Before, yeah. But now I think it’s awesome. I mean, you could have done more with the other lizard-" The young salamander gave a 'whoop'. "Sorry, the other salamander. You could have thrown it against the wall a few times or crushed it or something. Would've saved some time."

Bryce looked down at his bare feet. "It's not something to be proud of. It's a curse."

"Why, what's so bad about it? I mean, you used it to save me."

"Yeah, but it's not normal. It's because of those powers that were out here in the first place. I mean, it all started when I took your flight away. I regretted it the next day, but I couldn't take it back. And then today, I could have crushed you all at the barn, and Rumble almost died. And all because of these fucked up powers."

There was silence for a few seconds as the group walked through the Everfree Forest. The only sound came from the colossal salamanders as they trudged through forward, leading the way.

It was a while before Thunderlane asked, "You felt bad about it when you took my flight away?"

Bryce gave a nod. "I did the very next day. You just got me so mad. I was okay when you got on to me, but not on Ditzy."

"Yeah, that. I still have to apologize to her." He flew up and gave Bryce a nudge. "Here's hoping it doesn't end up with me becoming dinner to a troll or something." When Bryce didn't reply, Thunderlane went back to the ground, again oblivious that his hooves had left the earth. "Sure, you got us out here. But if it weren't for you we would bmnever have gotten outta there. Plus, I wouldn't know how much I actually care about my little bro." He looked ahead to Rumble. "Everypony else wouldn't even look my way, but he stood by me when I apologized to you. The little guys a lot better than I probably ever will be."

Bryce remained silent.

"But hey, your powers might not be normal, but look at me. I'm a pegasus that can't fly. How's that for weird?"

Bryce stared at Thunderlane with a blank stare. "Thunderlane..." You really don't know? Bryce decided to not bring it up, either. "It's not the same. With you you've forgotten how. I live with the fact every day that if I think the wrong thing at the wrong place and the wrong time I can crushed every bone in everyone's body."

"Whatever you say. I still think they're pretty cool. Maybe not that, but the other stuff, cool."

But that's just your opinion. What would the others think if they knew? Bryce thought as he stared through a break in the tree line. Through the clearing, he could see the decaying ruins of a castle. When he saw that he came to a stop, as if something had whispered in his ear to do so.

Thunderlane noticed this and turned back. "Bryce, you alright?"

Bryce continued to stare out at the ruins, the site brightened by the full moon. "There's something... Something..." He shook his head, the thought fading away. "It's nothing. I'm tired and I just want to get back to the farm. I have work I need to get done."

"You said it. I just know our parents will be mad, but not mad enough to kill us. At least, I hope not, sheesh." Just then Thunderlane came to a stop. "Wait a minute... Did I just fly?"

Bryce stared him straight in the eye. "No, you've been walking."

"Are you sure, because...?" Thunderlane took a second to reconsider. "I don't know, maybe I'm tired, too; I haven't thought about it since we left the cave."

Comments

[JohnIsOffline]

derpicdn.net/img/2015/9/18/982103/large.png

[Truthseeker]

O.k. this is much better than it was before.