13 Changing of the Guard
By the time the sun came up, the air was choked with a thick haze that covered the sky. Sparklefly rubbed her bandaged left eye as she stood on top of the castle looking into the Everfree Forest. The trees that Scootaloo and Pibs had burned nearly a week before seemed like a campfire compared to the blaze that engulfed it now. Everypony was coughing from the smoke, and most had taken to staying inside already. There was no relief for the soldiers guarding the perimeter or flying above as part of the CAP.
There was another concern as well. Five of the princesses, not to mention Discord, that had been in Ponyville had indeed left just before evening. Rumors swirled that they should have been back shortly after dark, but they still had yet to return. Everypony in the castle was stirring about this already. The exact nature of their mission wasn't disclosed, but Sparklefly believed the rumors that they had gone to the mirror pond. The mysterious explosion was alarming to everypony, especially considering the magnitude of the blast. A reconnaissance team had already been dispatched by the corps commander, a General by the name of Mane Crusher, to assess the damage.
Sparklefly soon grew tired of coughing and sought refuge inside the castle. It was as crowded now as it had been with the entire population of Ponyville trapped during the siege. The activity that buzzed inside, however, made it feel much more alive. The main encampment for the soldiers had been set up on the north and north east sides of town along the railroad tracks. Ponyville was now host to about thirty-thousand EUP soldiers from all over Equestria. But for the happenings in the forest, it had been quiet since the previous morning when they fought off the horde of timberwolves. Couriers arrived in the night informing them of an attack on Baltimare, but further reports indicated that it was a minor skirmish. No reinforcements were requested. Sparklefly had been relieved to hear that, as her family had been living in the port city since the fall of Apple Loosa.
Passing by CIC, Sparklefly noted that it seemed more frantic than usual. The General was busy with reports and writing up orders. Sparklefly was far too low ranking to go inside, so she continued on. Her attachment to Princess Twilight had created an interesting circumstance that allowed her a great amount of freedom for the time being. The princess wasn't here to give them orders, and they hadn't been reassigned yet, so they pretty much just had to stay in Ponyville until they were needed. Sparklefly suspected there would be no hurry on this, as their injuries should no doubt earn all of them medical leave.
She left the castle to find Scootaloo, who had gone early to visit Cloud Blazer in the hospital. There were plenty of wounded from the fighting the previous day, but his injuries were such that they made room for him. There was much astonishment that he had survived the fall in the Ghastly Gorge. The doctors were completely baffled that he wasn't killed on impact. They were even more amazed that he'd lasted this long. He was a mangled mess, but apparently Zecora knew her medicines. They allowed the zebra to continue his care. Their hooves were already full tending to the other casualties, but they did assign a nurse to assist her as needed.
Upon arrival, Sparklefly noted that Sweetie Belle still hadn't left his side. Even after Cloud Blazer was settled, the young unicorn mare stayed the night in the hospital with him while Zecora slept. Scootaloo was also there. It wouldn't be surprising at all if the hospital staff had to throw the two of them out to get them to leave him.
Scootaloo sighed.
“Are you alright?” Sparklefly asked.
“We should have told Apple Bloom that he was here.”
Sparklefly considered this a moment, “Really, she has a lot on her mind right now with her family and the farm in shambles. Let her sleep.”
Sweetie Belle yawned, seemingly not paying attention.
Scootaloo shrugged, cradling her sprained right fore-ankle, “She’d have wanted me to tell her last night.”
“In the long run, it’s a small matter. Zecora says he’s going to make it.”
Scootaloo accepted this. Sparklefly didn’t want to stay in the crowded hospital and decided she would head back out to Sweet Apple Acres to see if there was anything she could do to help with the chores. There were bound to be plenty of them considering the cleanup it would take to get the farm producing again. Her specialty had been the irrigation and weather control side of farming, but she had also learned quite a lot about the digging in the earth part, her father’s idea. Besides, she felt obligated to make herself of use since the Apples had allowed them to stay in the house.
A soldier, probably a scout, pushed passed her as she crossed the waiting room. Sparklefly exited the hospital into the hazy smoke-filled morning. There was a stale heat in the air that made everything that much more miserable. Her stomach grumbled, making her wince a little. The grass in all of Ponyville was now short, as it had already been consumed by the town’s ponies and soldiers, trying to keep their bellies satisfied. Coughing from the noxious air, Sparklefly turned and headed off toward Sweet Apple Acres.
...
Things seemed to be coming more into focus, but clarity was still beyond reach. The pain was as intense as ever, but the deafening noise wasn't returning as often, nor was it as overwhelming as it had previously been. The grinding pain of breathing was also becoming a little more tolerable. Coughing was horrible. Those spasms shot so much pain through Cloud Blazer that on two separate occasions they had caused him to pass out.
He was grateful to have his wits about him again, and the passage of time seemed to have returned to normal. This in turn caused a certain level of boredom to set in. On the bright side, there was a lot more movement in his field of vision now. His ears reported a constant low chatter, like far off voices that can't quite be understood. Cloud Blazer was coming to the conclusion that he had been moved, but he had no idea as to where. His other senses were still saturated with the stench and foul taste of potions that were applied to his body.
In addition to boredom, worry was another foe that came now. He could only wonder what had happened to Scootaloo and the rest of the squad. They had made it into the air, but did they survive? He had heard them talking about going back into the forest, but he hadn't been able to make out anything since then. He tried to bury his worries for Scootaloo, Sparklefly, Lightning Dasher, Pibs, and Princess Twilight, but it was difficult when all he had left was time to think.
...
Scootaloo was sitting by Sweetie Belle, across from Cloud Blazer, in the large lobby of the hospital. The rooms were crammed full already, and the wounded lay all around. Nurses went about checking on them, but the sense of urgency had finally left with the most severe cases being dealt with. Cloud Blazer’s breathing seemed much stronger than it had been even last night. Scootaloo couldn't tell if that was just her hopefulness getting the better of her. The medicine that Zecora kept him covered with smelled completely horrid. It was so foul that Scootaloo wondered that they had let him stay in the hospital at all. Sweetie Belle didn't seem to notice. She had fallen asleep a little while earlier on Scootaloo’s shoulder just after Zecora had arrived. It was nice to be able to hear him breathing. Scootaloo's hearing was still sketchy, and everything sounded hollow, but she had hope now that it would return to normal. At any rate, the intense ringing was growing much more faint.
The zebra began methodically checking Cloud Blazer from one end to the other, hind hooves to mane, carefully inspecting every injury and the progress of the healing. Scootaloo thought that Zecora looked beyond tired. Both she and Sweetie Belle had been devoting their full attention to Cloud Blazer for the better part of a week by this point, so it was understandable. By their report, he still hadn't spoken since they’d begun caring for him. He’d had the good sense not to bite his tongue during the fall, but his teeth were all knocked loose from the impact. Sweetie Belle had made sure they were back in place while his gums were still tender.
Zecora finished the routine check of the stallion and sat down for a moment. She seemed deeply engrossed in thought, and was muttering something to herself that Scootaloo couldn't quite make out thanks to her hearing loss. She didn't acknowledge Scootaloo as she got up and walked back outside, presumably to mix up some more medicinal brews of some kind or another. Cloud Blazer sputtered a little, and then coughed. Scootaloo saw him wince from it. His eyes were opened now, and he was laying there calmly. He looked around some, and closed his eyes again. The steady rhythm of his ragged breathing resumed.
Lightning Dasher Number Seven, one of only two surviving Lightning Dashers, was on another row of chairs nearby. His leg had been fractured and was now in a cast.
Cloud Blazer coughed again; Scootaloo felt helpless. She wanted to do something to make him better, but there was just no way to fix this. Maybe if she'd stayed closer to him when they’d made the jump... She'd been thinking this since he fell, and that's why she had asked Sparklefly to lead the rescue mission for the princess. The regret and guilt, however misplaced it might be, was overwhelming, especially at first. She had been able to push it to the back of her mind while there were lives on the line, but now all Scootaloo could do was sit face to face with the consequence of her moment of carelessness. She should never have let him bring up the rear. The only hint of relief was that she didn’t order him to do it. Had that been the case, the guilt would have been unbearable.
...
Sparklefly was almost back to the farmhouse. It took no small amount of coughing to get there due to the polluted air. She heard a noise from the barn as she passed, which made her stop to investigate. It was LD. The stallion was doing some exercises, which had made him work up a sweat already.
“How are you not worn out from the last few days?” she asked.
He hardly glanced at her, “I kept getting assigned where nothing was happening. You know I never did anything but guard duty away from fighting during the siege? Besides, we’ve got to stay fit for duty, right?”
“True enough,” she coughed. “I might join you later.”
He nodded in reply and continued. Sparklefly walked the short distance to the house. Upon entering, she was able to breathe again. It was a welcome respite from the hazy smoke filling the air outside. Sparklefly rummaged around in the kitchen, but the pantry was bare except for a bag of oats. It looked small considering it was all the food they had to feed several ponies for the next three days. Sparklefly closed the pantry without taking any.
"You can have some; don't be shy,” Apple Bloom's voice said from behind her.
Sparklefly replied, "No, thank you. I'll eat later."
"Come on, you gotta be hungry by now," Apple Bloom insisted.
"I'll wait for the others," Sparklefly said.
Apple Bloom opened the kitchen window shade, and the hazy daylight flooded in softly. A concerned look overcame her expression while looking out at the sky. She looked at Sparklefly, a bit confused.
"The Everfree forest is on fire," Sparklefly informed her.
"From that bang we heard last night?"
"I think so. Scootaloo returned after dark,” Sparklefly said; she then hesitated.
Apple Bloom tilted her head to one side asking, "And?"
"They brought Sweetie Belle, Zecora, and Cloud Blazer back to Ponyville."
"Well how come you didn’t tell me?" Apple Bloom asked frantically as she straightened her pink bow. "Where are they? Can I see him?"
"It might be a bit of a shock,” Sparklefly searched for the right words. “He's been hurt very badly."
"I know; y'all told us that already." She finished fiddling with her bow. "I want to see him. Is he in the hospital?"
Sparklefly hesitated only a moment, and nodded saying, "I'll come with you."
The pair went back outside. Sparklefly’s lungs were irritated by the noxious air. As they passed the barn, Sparklefly caught a sight that served to amuse her. LD saw them walking by and quickly darted to the door, lifting a wheel barrow over his head in a ridiculous pose. Apple Bloom saw it and rolled her eyes at him.
“That stallion,” she muttered under her breath.
Sparklefly found it difficult to hold in her laughter as LD put down the weight and scurried to catch up to them.
...
He hadn't realized he was dreaming until he woke up, but this was common now, and Cloud Blazer was not nearly so startled this time. Fortunately, it was not an unsettling dream. Upon awakening, he noticed colored blobs moving about. This was a rather exciting development, especially given how bored he'd been for the last few days. He was still unable to move, but that was expected.
As he lay there, trying to make out the fuzzy shapes that were moving back and forth, Cloud Blazer became acutely aware that he was intensely thirsty. This was a sensation that he hadn't noticed in several days. In fact, his senses had been so overloaded with pain that he hardly noticed anything else at all. It hadn’t subsided in the least, but he must have come to a point where he was able to pick out other sensations as well. Thirsty was as good a place to start as any. His tongue felt dry as if it were stuck to the roof of his mouth, and his throat was burning for water.
He decided that the only thing he could do was to try speaking. Hopefully, this wouldn't be nearly so painful as the last time he'd made the attempt. For all of the dreams and time with nothing to do, that seemed a lifetime ago. He drew in a painful, grinding breath.
...
Scootaloo's shoulder was falling asleep under the weight of Sweetie Belle's head. A gentle nudge was enough to rouse her.
Sweetie Belle sucked in a deep awakening breath and rubbed her eyes, "What? Huh? Did I forget something?"
Scootaloo answered, "No; you were putting my shoulder to sleep."
"Oh, sorry. I must have dozed off for a minute."
"More like an hour," Scootaloo teased, moving her leg to get the blood flowing again.
She heard Sweetie Belle's stomach growl loudly. The unicorn seemed a little embarrassed by it as they exchanged a glance. Scootaloo was going to say something dismissive when she heard Apple Bloom somewhere behind them.
"Where is he?" she asked. "I'm looking for a stallion named Cloud Blazer. Do you know where I can find him?"
Sweetie Belle stood straight up on her hind legs on the bench Scootaloo was seated on.
"Apple Bloom!” she called out.
The farm pony trotted quickly through the maze of wounded to reach them. She was followed closely by Sparklefly and LD. As they arrived, Sweetie Belle jumped down, and she and Apple Bloom embraced.
“Why didn’t you come back when the forest wasn’t safe?” Apple Bloom asked. "You had us all worried sick."
"I'm sorry I didn't return sooner. Zecora and I had to run away from her house. We found an empty Quarray Eel cave in the Ghastly Gorge and made our home there."
"But why didn't y'all just come back to Ponyville?"
"We tried, Apple Bloom, but we couldn't get through. The timberwolves were showing up everywhere when we tried to get back to town. I was working on learning to teleport, but I just couldn't figure it out. Then Zecora found a recipe for a potion that would help us turn invisible so we could walk right past them. We were going to use it to get back, but that's when Scootaloo showed up."
Scootaloo nodded, "That potion was very helpful."
Apple Bloom then noticed Cloud Blazer. Her face contorted at the sight of him and tears filled her eyes.
“Brownie...” she said.
Cloud Blazer stirred slightly, but it was enough that they all noticed. Then he became still again, with only the ragged sound of his breathing giving a sign that he was alive.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Apple Bloom said to Sweetie Belle.
Cloud Blazer gasped, sending Sweetie Belle shooting to his side. The others were right behind her. He made kind of a gurgling noise as he exhaled. It almost seemed deliberate, but Scootaloo couldn't be sure.
Sparklefly pointed, "He's moving!"
Scootaloo moved around the side of the group where she could see. Cloud Blazer had opened his eyes, laying on his right side. With his left fore hoof, he was slowly reaching at his face. He made another noise, but it was almost inaudible. It sounded sort of like, 'wuhg.'
LD asked, "What did he say?"
"Quiet!" Sweetie Belle scolded. She leaned in closer to listen.
Cloud Blazer looked like he was expending great effort. He had closed his eyes, and he took another breath. "Wuh... ahh..." he coughed, wincing sharply from the pain. "Kreh... hur..." He coughed again. Cloud Blazer was breathing more heavily now, but he seemed almost intent. He was trying to communicate.
Sparklefly said it faster, "Wuhahhkrehur. Wahkreur?"
Sweetie Belle checked his mouth. "His tongue's dry. He needs water."
"I'm on it!" Apple Bloom said, and she trotted off to get some.
"Water," Scootaloo understood, "he was asking for water."
LD asked, "Had he spoken before?"
"No," Sweetie Belle answered, "this is the first time since we've been caring for him."
Sparklefly smiled; Scootaloo’s heart was filled with great warmth at that sign of recovery. He was still in there, and he was going to be okay.
The unicorn began gently stroking Cloud Blazer’s mane, "Don't you worry; we're getting you some water."
Apple Bloom returned moments later, and Sweetie Belle helped him drink. It was a slow process, but some coughing and sputtering aside, he managed to get most of it down. He laid his head back down, seeming exhausted from the effort.
"Don't you worry, Brownie," Sparklefly said, "we paid them back for what they did to you."
“We paid them back for you, Nimba, Regal Masquerade, and Pibs,” Scootaloo added.
His breathing became deep and steady, as if he'd drifted off to sleep again. Zecora walked up just then with a bowl of foul smelling brown paste. It had a much thicker consistency than the green sludge he was currently coated with.
"This new potion I'll need to apply; but first Sweetie Belle, we must clean him dry," the zebra said.
Sweetie Belle nodded and walked off.
Scootaloo said, "Miss Zecora, Cloud Blazer spoke a moment ago. He had asked for water."
"That is good to hear, young Scootaloo; a sign that the medicine is working true,” she replied.
Sweetie Belle returned with some clean wash cloths and a basin full of water. They set to work gently washing the old green sludge from Cloud Blazer. The injuries looked much more severe when they weren't covered with Zecora's medicines. There were several places where he was swollen and bruised, and there were more cuts than could even be counted. His back right leg still was immobilized from having been broken and set. His wings were a total mess. They didn't retain their normal shape anymore. They also had been immobilized in a stretched out position. They were mangled and swollen much thicker than was natural.
As Scootaloo was watching Zecora and Sweetie Belle work, an EUP officer approached them. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Sergeant Scootaloo in command of Princess Twilight Sparkle's squad."
Scootaloo turned to face him, glad that he had spoken loud enough for her to understand him, "I'm Scootaloo." He was a black colored earth pony with red eyes.
"Ma'am," he began with a rather official demeanor, "General Mane Crusher wants you to gather your squad and report to him in CIC immediately. That is all."
Scootaloo was baffled by this. "Thank you," she said, dismissing him.
As he trotted away, LD asked, "Are we in trouble?"
"I wish I knew," Sparklefly said.
"I guess we'd best report in. I'll see you later, Apple Bloom."
"I'll be here," Apple Bloom replied without looking back.
Sweetie Belle was deeply engrossed in what she was doing, so Scootaloo decided not to interrupt. Looking from Sparklefly to LD she said, "Let's go."
Scootaloo led the other two from the hospital and into the smoke-filled air outside. There were very few of the towns-ponies out and about. The noxious haze from the burning forest effectively shut down the entire town. As they crossed to the castle, Scootaloo noticed a rather large number of pegasus ponies had already taken flight to attempt to control the weather. They were pushing clear air into town from the west, but the smoke was so thick that it was slow going. The guards at the gate let them walk past. Several carpenters were already rebuilding the doors. It looked like it would be twice as thick as the old one, and it also had an iron outer face. Even a thousand timberwolves would have a hard time trying to get through that one.
The air inside was much cleaner, but the castle was crowded with EUP soldiers. Repairs were being effected to all windows, and the cellar was also under reconstruction. The squad worked their way through the narrow corridor, past their discarded barricades from what would have been their last stand, and found the stairs up to the second floor. As they walked down the large corridor toward CIC, a voice called from behind them.
"Hey, wait for me!"
Scootaloo and the others stopped, and turned to see another Lightning Dasher coming up behind them. He had a black eye that was swollen shut, and one of his legs was in a cast. He was hobbling on the other three. It was Number Seven.
"Oh, hi, always nice to see a familiar face,” LD said.
“You guys just left me in the hospital; what gives?" the other Lightning Dasher asked.
Scootaloo felt awkward. "I'm sorry. LD was with us, and I guess I forgot."
Lightning Dasher was miffed, "Look, I could get that if there were dozens of me still, but there's only two."
LD looked a little uncomfortable also, “He's right. We're both me still. No treating us different."
Sparklefly said, "I'm sorry too; I'll try to be more thoughtful. You have to admit, this is one situation they didn't exactly train us for."
“Who called us and where are we going?” Lightning Dasher asked.
"CIC," Scootaloo answered. "We were summoned by the CO."
LD added, "Yep, General Mane Crusher himself."
“Come on,” Scootaloo said.
The four of them continued down the corridor, eventually finding themselves in CIC. The room was buzzing with activity as couriers were being dispatched here and there. Orders were being sent, and maps were being updated as scouts came in and gave their reports from all over Equestria. Scootaloo led the group right up to the General, and they waited to be addressed. He was conversing with his officers and pouring over a map of Equestria. There were little figures all over it representing the various armies of the EUP. There were others that represented the timberwolves at points where their strength was known. Scootaloo noticed that the EUP had fallen back from the river they had taken only a week ago, they had given up all of the ground they gained all the way back to Filly Delphia and Baltimare. They still held everything north of Foal Mountain, and it seemed the bulk of the EUP forces were laid out in the gaps between the mountains, using the terrain to hold the area with a smaller force. Scootaloo wondered whether they had given up that ground to save Ponyville.
The black earth pony with red eyes spoke, "General, this is Princess Twilight Sparkle's squad."
"Thank you, Swiftlight," the gruff voice answered. Mane Crusher was light gray in color, and his mane, tail, and small mustache had turned white from age. He had a solid, no-nonsense look about him. His flank was emblazoned with a battle axe, the edge of which was dripping with crimson. He turned to Scootaloo, and the squad saluted. He returned the gesture. "At ease," he said, and began sizing them up quickly. “Is this all?”
“No, sir,” Scootaloo replied. “We have one other survivor, but he was critically wounded.”
“You have twins?" he asked, pointing at LD and Lightning Dasher.
"No, sir," Scootaloo replied. "They are duplicates."
"Ah, so this is Lightning Dasher," he said with a slow nod.
"Yes, sir," Scootaloo replied.
General Mane Crusher addressed LD and Lightning Dasher, "Jumping into the mirror pond like that was quick thinking, son. Fine work."
Together, LD and Lightning Dasher said, "Thank you, sir."
Mane Crusher squinted at them. Scootaloo couldn't tell if he was disapproving or not. Maybe he was also a little uncomfortable with the duplications.
Scootaloo hadn’t noticed Shining Armor until he approached the group, “General.”
“Your majesty,” The general said. “It’s time.”
The prince nodded gravely.
Standing back from the squad, the General spoke loudly, "Hold everything; I need everypony's attention." The room instantly fell silent as he produced a scroll and opened it. "I have orders signed by the princesses that I am to read now. 'To General Mane Crusher commanding the third corps, the following directives are given. This letter is to be read in the presence of Prince Shining Armor, Princess Twilight Sparkle’s squad, and witnesses. Our mission, which we felt required the utmost haste and secrecy can now be known. We went into the Everfree Forest to deal with the mirror pond. Princess Twilight had found a spell that would unleash the magic inside, rendering it powerless. It is a complicated process, and will take several of us to complete properly. For this reason, we have taken Discord with us also. With all of our combined magical abilities, we will dispel the mirror pond by releasing the magic contained within. We do not anticipate any problems, yet as we five princesses will all be in one location, we felt that precautions should be taken. Provided that no princesses return to Ponyville by dawn, the following actions must be taken. First, organize a search party to determine the fate of the royal alicorns and to determine the success of our mission. Second, effectively immediately, all executive power in Equestria is given to Prince Shining Armor until such time as any of the princesses are recovered. Third, concerning the squad that had previously been assigned to Princess Twilight Sparkle: they are to all receive promotions at the discretion of Captain Brax, to whom they are now assigned, further reassignment as needed. Signed in hopes that our absence will see Equestria healed for all ponies that live here: Princesses Hope's Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Cadence, Luna, and Celestia.'"
The silence in the room was almost unbearable. Scootaloo felt that now would be the perfect time to panic, but her training told her unquestionably that the thing to do is to keep her head. The fear that was initially gripping her was also dissipated by the fact that one alicorn is powerful, five plus Discord would be unstoppable. There was simply no way that anything too bad could have happened to them. They must have just been delayed. Then she thought back to the explosion, and a second wave of fear threatened to take hold. Something had indeed gone wrong.
Mane Crusher continued, "I want both pegasus divisions to begin SAR operations in the Everfree forest immediately. That is all."
The silence was shattered with orders shooting this way and that, and Swiftlight darted out of the room on some errand. Scootaloo wasn't certain what to do at this point, so she remained motionless with Sparklefly, LD, and Lightning Dasher.
“I’ll return to Cloudsdale,” Prince Shining Armor said solemnly to the general. “I’m counting on you to find them.”
“With everything at my disposal,” he replied.
The prince left the room, escorted by his personal guards. Mane Crusher turned back to the squad.
"Congratulations, Lieutenant," he gruffly said to Scootaloo.
"Thank you, sir," she said, a little more awkwardly than she had intended to sound.
"You all look horrible. You're on medical leave until further notice. Dismissed!"
Scootaloo saluted, the others following suit, and they marched silently out of CIC.
Once in the hallway, Lightning Dasher asked, "Now what do we do?"
Sparklefly said, "I wish we could join the SAR."
LD objected, "Hold it; you're in no condition to fly."
“I somehow get the feeling our assistance wouldn’t be appreciated this time," Scootaloo observed. The others looked at her. "We're on medical leave. We need to report to the infirmary. With a little luck, they'll approve me for travel." The others looked at her questioningly. A dark thought, more of a feeling, had been growing in Scootaloo’s mind. It became tempered with resolve that action was required. "There's something I need to take care of."
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I wonder what Scootaloo has in mind. Possibly root out a potential traitor or Changeling in the midst that she's beginning to suspect?
You may want to reconsider writing the story synopsis before you post your next chapter.
7267197 Don't worry, you'll see early in the next chapter what she's up to.
Out of curiosity, why do you think the synopsis needs a re-write?
7267690 It's not really a 'Wow, I want to read this story now!' synopsis
7267696 Maybe something less about setting the stage and more about "we're all going to die?"
looks like Blazer has himself a fine harem
8731812
Nah, most of them just like him as a friend.
Bow-chicka-bow-wow!
I don't trust him
I am not alone
The general guy is definitely evil.
8732798
Dude! Way to pass summary judgement on a guy at first glance!
I’m not even sure if when I wrote him into this chapter whether I had plans for him one way or another.
Eh, why not... 🍪
7267197
I think she means to deliver the news of Pib's death to her fiancee, and also that very rare flower wrapped in a napkin.
11203880
🍪
You saw right through me on that one.